


Twisting Reality

by Cyelle



Series: Twisting Reality [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, BAMF Female Uzumaki Naruto, Dimension Travel, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Fix-It, Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto throws everyone for a loop, Shisui/female!Naruto, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Time Travel, canon divergent? I guess, dimension hopping with a smidge of time travel, kakashi's confused but he goes along with it, no one can resist the tornado that is Naruto, slightly dark female Naruto, watch out Danzo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 171,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23836918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyelle/pseuds/Cyelle
Summary: In a fight against Kaguya, Naruto is thrown into another dimension where her counterpart is...?!Well, if she can't get back she might as well turn the world upside down!
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruko, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi & Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Itachi & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Shisui/Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Shisui/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Twisting Reality [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921555
Comments: 842
Kudos: 2685
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts, Absolute Favorites, Not to be misplaced, Reborn the Sage, Stupid Fuking Good Fics





	1. Two steps to the side and down we go

**Author's Note:**

> This is a dimension hopping + time travel work where Naruto is a girl.  
> I do know that this is a well used and worn trope but I do hope that my idea is a bit new. Besides, there's so very few stories about Shisui! I love him very much and hope I can do him justice!  
> If you're interested please take a look! Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

A pair of eyelids fluttered and a weak, pained groan split the still air.

_“Kurama?”_

**_“What is it, kit?”_ **

_“Where are we?”_

Naruto tried to move and immediately stilled at the onslaught of pain.

“Ow...”

 ** _“Stay still, kit,”_** the great fox rumbled, gently pulling his container into their shared mindscape. A furry tail wrapped around Naruto’s shaking form and tucked the human into his side. With a sigh, the Bijuu let some of his power flow through the seal; red chakra coated Naruto’s physical body, healing the lacerations and bruises covering almost every inch of skin.

**_“What do you remember, Naruto?”_ **

Naruto frowned, raising her head to stare into Kurama’s crimson eyes. _“We were fighting Kaguya and she launched a bunch of Gudoudama at me...and then nothing.”_

The Fourth Shinobi War had ripped the land apart and obliterated almost all of the human population. Only a few hundred civilians had survived, scattered in an attempt to flee the destruction. Out of the Allied Shinobi Forces, only Naruto was alive and she had made her last stand alongside the Edo Tensei version of her father, Namikaze Minato and a converted Uchiha Obito.

The trio was well-aware that it was a fool’s gamble now; with Sasuke dead, they didn’t have a way to seal the goddess away anymore and it was only a matter of time before they were killed too.

Naruto sniffed. She had been through hell, she was allowed to cry!

_“So, what now? Are we dead?”_

The fox shifted, tails waving uneasily behind him. **_“Not exactly.”_**

_“Huh?”_

**_“Before that, how are you feeling now?”_ **

Naruto frowned at the obvious attempt to change the topic but reluctantly let it go for the moment. She pulled herself out of her mindscape and tried to move her hands. When there was no pain, she relaxed and slowly moved, fingers grazing the grass as she tried to sit up.

....

....grass?

The jolt of shock that went through her body was enough to make the Jinchuuriki force her eyes open. All greenery had been burnt away long ago and there was only hard burnt earth. Where the hell had the grass come from?

The girl’s eyes widened when they caught sight of the towering trees surrounding her, the forest stretching further than her eyes could see. Naruto gaped; she could even spot some owls hidden amongst the foliage thanks to her enhanced senses. There was also the faint rush of water rushing in the distance, most likely a stream or river.

But most of all, the air smelled _clean._

For years, the stench of blood and death had permeated the air, clogging their nostrils and leaving them gasping for breath at times, even making them nauseous. To breathe in clean air, the scent of trees, flowers and _pure nature_ was like a wish come true.

Naruto snapped her head upwards, desperately looking at the sky. The thick branches of the trees hid most of her vision but she was able to see a few patches. Twinkling silvery stars greeted her, shining against a backdrop of midnight blue, a few wispy clouds floating by. _‘Shika would have loved to see this...’_ she thought absently.

“Kurama?” she croaked, her abused vocal chords protesting. “W-Where are we?”

The Bijuu didn’t answer her immediately, causing her to open her mouth to scream at him again. Before she could though, Kurama cut her off, **_“Either we travelled through time or crashed into another dimension.”_**

For a moment, there was silence while Naruto processed that. “....how is that even _possible_?!” the Jinchuuriki’s voice grew in volume with each syllable, ending in a high-pitched shriek. Wincing at the ache in her throat, Naruto decided to re-enter her mindscape, scampering to stand in front of the gigantic fox.

Kurama lowered his head to rest on his paws, staring intently at his host. **_“I’m not certain but I can theorize. When Kaguya attacked you, the Uchiha tried to use Kamui to get you away while at the same time your father used the Hiraishin to reach you.”_**

Never let it be said that Naruto was dumb; her pranks as a kid proved that. And the war ensured that she put all her hidden brilliance into strategy during the Fourth Shinobi War, alongside Shikamaru. It took her stunned brain a few moments to start working, though.

 _“Both Kamui and Hiraishin are space-time techniques...”_ Naruto murmured, paling as the implications hit her. _“But how did such a huge displacement occur?”_

**_“The Gudoudama. The two techniques must have fed off the chakra from Kaguya’s attack and sent us here.”_ **

_“We have to get back, Kurama! Dad and Obito are-!”_

**_“That’s impossible.”_** The nine-tailed fox rumbled, sitting back on his haunches. Naruto froze in the midst of her rant, words dying on her lips. She stared up at her long-time partner, swallowing harshly at the hint of pity in the demonic red eyes.

_“But...”_

**_“No, kit. You almost died on the way here; even if we find the correct dimension, how will we get back? And will they be still alive?”_ **

Tears spilled down Naruto’s cheeks and she raised her hands to wipe them away. Once again she froze, staring at her palms. Her _tiny_ palms. Almost like in a trance, she looked down at her body and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the dull waters of her sewer-like mindscape.

A child’s face stared back at her, instead of her nineteen year-old self. The whisker birthmarks on her cheeks were gone and her hair was now crimson instead of her sunshine blond.

 _“Kurama! What the hell?! Why the heck am I a kid?!”_ Her new appearance effectively served to take her mind off of her circumstances and she glared up at the fox, somehow knowing that it was the Bijuu’s fault.

Said Bijuu scoffed, swatting at his now kid Jinchuuriki with a couple of his tails and knocking her down. **_“Be grateful, brat! Traversing between dimensions almost ripped you to pieces! If I hadn’t healed you, you’d be nothing more than a splatter of blood on the forest floor!”_**

Naruto gulped, realizing that the Kyuubi was probably right. There was a reason why space-time ninjutsu were dangerous; if not executed properly, it could result in tearing down the space-time continuum. ‘ _Although that was probably what happened here,’_ the Jinchuuriki thought dimly. _‘I must have fallen through such a tear and slipped through the gaps in dimensions to get here.’_

 _“Okay, I get it; but still why a kid? And the changes in color?”_ Naruto whispered brokenly, shuffling closer to her friend and snuggling into the tail that immediately wrapped around her.

 ** _“The time portion of the techniques must have affected your body as well,”_** Kurama said, curling around his container protectively. **_“I had only enough chakra to heal you as you were.”_**

_“Okay.”_

**_“Your traits seem to lean towards your Uzumaki heritage now, although you still have Namikaze blood in you. Your eyes are still the same but your skin is a lot paler now.”_ **

_“I see...do you think there’s another me running about and I would create a paradox if not for the changes?”_

**_“Most likely.”_ **

The two fell into silence, neither wishing to speak anymore. The chakra construct didn’t say anything when Naruto started sobbing quietly into his fur, simply brushing a tail over her head in unspoken comfort. He didn’t feel emotions the same way humans did, but he did care greatly for his Jinchuuriki, even if he would never admit it.

The formerly blonde menace had grown on him.

* * *

Naruto wept for her lost family, years of grief and pain crashing down on her in an instant. Two years of continuous war did not allow for time to grieve for her fallen friends, rapidly moving from place to place while evading Kaguya and her army of White Zetsu and reanimated shinobi.

Neji, struck down while protecting her.

Yamato, drained of life by Zetsu for his Mokuton.

Gai, killed by overuse of the Eight Gates.

Temari and Kankuro, poisoned to death in an ambush.

Kiba, ripped into pieces after he went into a frenzy after Akamaru’s death.

TenTen, stabbed through the heart by one of her own weapons.

Lee and Sai, dying in a suicide mission to seal away a reanimated Gai.

Shino, sacrificing his life to protect Kurenai and her child.

Gaara, giving up his life to seal away the reanimated Kages.

Ino and Chouji, slaughtered by a reanimated Asuma.

Shikamaru, burning out after Kurenai and her child were killed.

Tsunade, Shizune and Hinata, staying behind to give the civilians time to escape.

Kakashi, taking a blow meant for their only surviving medic.

Sakura, burnt to ashes in one of Kaguya’s dimensions.

Sasuke, intercepting an attack meant for Naruto and dying with a smile on his bloody lips.

Minato and Obito, now surely dead or soon to be dead.

Naruto cried for each one of her friends and family, for all the lives lost in the War. The tears that she had held back for two years burst forth and her small body shook with the force of her sobs. In her mindscape, accompanied only by her partner, she finally let herself break down.

* * *

Time passed, the silence only broken by the occasional sniff from the girl. Naruto didn’t know how long it had been but she didn’t care. She slowly got to her feet, breathing in deeply. She wasn’t the type to be down for long.

Yes, she was still sad, she was still broken but it wouldn’t stop her from moving forward. A thought came to mind and she spoke, _“Hey, Kurama; **when** are we?”_

**_“I have no clue. You should probably find a village. Also you’re around seven years old now.”_ **

Agreeing with the fox, Naruto opened back in the real world. It was still night out, so she probably hadn’t been out of sorts for a long time. Taking inventory, she noted that she was still clad in her tattered black and orange jacket, splatters on blood on the material. Her pants were completely ruined and she was barefoot.

“Aww....looks like I don’t have any weapons. Wait, my chakra!”

 ** _“Be careful, I don’t know if your skills came with you,”_** Kurama warned.

With a nod, the new redhead plopped down into a meditative pose and reached for her reservoir of chakra. It answered readily to her call, surging like a wave. She noted that her chakra reservoirs weren’t as large as her nineteen year old self, but it was more than she remembered at seven. But Naruto didn’t care, delighting in the feel of her chakra flowing through her system smoothly.

Actually, it was a lot smoother than ever.

Suspicious, Naruto got up and channelled chakra to her feet. She tentatively placed her left foot on the tree nearest to her, expecting to be blasted off. When that didn’t happen, she lifted the other foot and placed it on the trunk, standing sideways.

“Huh...”

She took a step, then another and another when she didn’t feel unsteady at all. In a matter of seconds, Naruto was at the top of the tree, expression bewildered.

“What the hell...”

In her mindscape, Kurama cackled, tails swishing behind him, **_“Ha, only you Naruto!”_**

_“What, you stupid old fox?!”_

The Bijuu didn’t stop laughing, much to the frustration of his host. **_“You have Uzumaki reserves still but the chakra control of the Yondaime!”_**

“Wait, seriously? But dad had perfect chakra control!” Naruto yelped in shock. “I thought larger reserves meant that control was compromised!”

**_“It’s unlikely that you’ll have chakra control good enough to make a normal Bunshin, but you might be able to manage iryo ninjutsu and genjutsu to an extent now.”_ **

“Huh...that’s something to think on,” murmured Naruto. Iryo ninjutsu might be useful; coupled with Kurama’s natural chakra she might be rather good at it. Filing it away for later, she gazed over the forest, sure that she was still in Hi no Kuni.

With a jolt of chakra, the girl slid down the tree and started walking, using her hearing to guide her to the stream she’d heard earlier. She brushed her fingers against the greenery, marvelling at the sheer abundance of nature around her. Fifteen minutes later, Naruto reached the stream and let out a shout of delight at the clear water.

Cupping her hands, she gathered some water and sipped it, the crystal clear and cool water soothing her throat. Once her thirst was quenched, Naruto picked at her clothes thoughtfully.

_“Hey, Kurama? There’s no one around me, right?”_

**_“Not for at least fifty miles, kit.”_ **

Naruto nodded to herself and stripped off her jacket, tossing it to the ground. She stepped into the stream, careful not to get swept away. The water felt good against her skin, washing away the dirt and blood. Taking a deep breath, she ducked her head underneath the surface in order to wash her hair. There was no soap or shampoo to get completely clean but it would have to do.

Once she deemed herself sufficiently clean, Naruto grabbed her jacket and started scrubbing it, trying to get out as much blood as possible. Meanwhile, she let her thoughts wander.

She was in Hi no Kuni but was she close to Konoha?

What time was she in? Was her counterpart the same age as her?

Was it time travel or dimension travel?

If it was dimension travel, did this world have the same history as hers?

Kurama huffed in her head, mumbling, **_“Stop thinking and just find out. Konoha’s about a hundred miles to the east.”_**

 _“How do you know that?”_ Naruto asked suspiciously.

**_“I can feel my counterpart.”_ **

_“Wait, what?! Then how are you still here in my seal?! Shouldn’t it create a paradox?”_

**_“Hoh, looks like your brain’s actually functioning,”_** Kurama snarked back in response to Naruto’s rapid fire questions. **_“I’m a chakra construct; I’m not affected by space-time completely. Also your seal contains fragments of my siblings’ chakra; that alone is enough to change me, kit.”_**

_“Oh...I’m glad. You’re still with me, Kurama.”_

**_“Tch. Of course, brat.”_ **

Deeming her jacket to be clean enough, Naruto jumped out of the stream and draped it over a boulder to dry. The night air was slightly cold but Kurama’s chakra flowing through her body kept her warm and toasty. Since the boulder was large and flat enough, Naruto scrambled atop it and sat down in a meditative pose.

Slipping into a practised trance, Naruto focused on her chakra. She may have near perfect chakra control now but that was no reason to slack off. Instincts ingrained into her from war wouldn’t disappear that easily.

* * *

**_“Naruto.”_ **

The redhead rose out of her meditative state with a deep exhale after half an hour at Kurama’s call, reaching for her jacket and finding it dry enough. She pulled it on, ripping off a strip of cloth from the bottom and tying it at her waist in a makeshift dress.

“Konoha’s toward the east, right?”

At the fox’s agreeing rumble, Naruto set off towards the village. It was still dark but the moon was out, illuminating the path, not that she needed it. For a while she walked, simply revelling in the natural energy around her. She didn’t dare absorb natural chakra, not sure what it would do to her at her current age but she was still sensitive to it.

Barely fifteen minutes passed before Naruto grew frustrated, leaping up into the trees with a whisper of chakra. Thankfully, she had retained her ridiculous stamina and her body wasn’t weak, allowing her to jump from branch to branch with ease.

Kurama spoke up when she was halfway to her destination, having decided against stopping in a village and rather head straight to Konoha. **_“Kit, what are you planning to do?”_**

_“What do you mean?”_

**_“What do you intend to do in Konoha?”_ **

Naruto paused atop a branch, sitting down against the trunk of the tree. _“I thought I’d find out what time we are in first,”_ she said. _“Then see if there are any changes in this world compared to ours.”_

The Bijuu hummed in appreciation, **_“Good plan, kit. I doubt there would be many differences though. Parallel dimensions usually mirror each other a lot.”_**

_“If it’s time travel, then I want to see if I can change things for the better.”_

**_“Do you plan on telling anyone the truth?”_ **

The Jinchuuriki stilled at that question, thoughts turbulent. “I don’t know,” she spoke aloud in a whisper. Kurama could sense his host’s uncertainty and let his chakra wash over her in a comforting manner. **_“You should get a full grasp on the situation first. Decisions can come later.”_**

“Okay.”

Deciding she had spent enough time resting, Naruto rose to her feet and set off once again. Another hour was spent in silence and soon she could see the great gates of Konoha in the distance. She stopped again, suppressing her chakra signature. She didn’t want to be spotted yet.

Using the thick leaves as cover, Naruto climbed as high as she could and stared into the distance. Frowning, she channelled a little chakra to her eyes to help her see better. Cerulean eyes widened when Naruto caught her first look of the Hokage Mountain.

“Only four heads....”

Indeed, in the distance where the Hokage Mountain loomed proudly over the village of Konoha, there were only four heads carved on it.

The Shodaime, Senju Hashirama.

The Nidaime, Senju Tobirama.

The Sandaime, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Yondaime, Namikaze Minato.

“The Hokages are the same,” Naruto murmured softly, staring fondly at the face of her father. “If this is time travel, then this is before the Chuunin Exam. But...”

Kurama, knowing exactly what his host was thinking, cut in softly, **_“This is after I attacked, though.”_**

“ _Forced_ to attack, Kurama,” Naruto corrected with a frown. She had never blamed the fox for his deeds after learning the truth. “How do you know that though?”

**_“Now that we are closer, I can sense only my Yang half. Your mother held both parts of me, remember?”_ **

“Yeah...I guess it’s too late to save Mom and Dad then,” the redhead concluded softly, feeling a pang of pain and regret at the lost opportunity.

The Bijuu and Jinchuuriki sat in silence, sensing for more clues.

**_“Hey, kit. I can sense a lot of Uchiha.”_ **

“A lot of Uchiha? Then this is before the Massacre!” Naruto whispered triumphantly. She would do everything in her power to prevent Sasuke from losing his family again, even if he would never be her Sasuke. Besides, Itachi didn’t deserve the fate he was dealt either.

Mind made up, Naruto slid down the tree, choosing to walk the rest of the way in order to not raise any suspicion. With her crimson hair, she was sure she could pass for an Uzumaki seeking refuge. Well, it was the truth; she really _was_ an Uzumaki after all.

* * *

Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu were on their usual duty as guards at the gates of Konoha. Kotetsu slumped over the desk with a loud sigh.

“So boring!”

“Stand up straight!” Izumo slapped his partner on the back, making the other wince. “But Izumo, there’s nothing interesting happening....”

Izumo only sighed, “And isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yeah....but it doesn’t make it any less boring.”

“Eek!”

A short squeal cut off their banter and the pair of Chuunin turned to look out the open gates. They saw nothing at first and were about to go back to their positions when movement caught Izumo’s eyes.

Hand inching towards a kunai, the brown haired Chuunin peered closely at the bushes. A small pale hand came into view first and he signalled his partner to be ready. A startlingly blue eye peeked out next and Izumo frowned.

“A child?”

Kotetsu also frowned, subtly sending out his chakra. When he didn’t sense any Henge or genjutsu, he nodded to Izumo and the pair relaxed slightly but not completely off guard. Kotetsu leapt over the desk, making his way over to the child who inched out of hiding but still clung to the tree.

Izumo followed after his partner. When they were close enough to make out the child’s features, they gasped.

That shade was definitely Uzumaki red.

The Chuunin exchanged glances; if this girl was really a member of the Uzumaki clan then the Hokage would need to be notified.

Even it had been years since Uzushio had fallen and most of Konoha no longer remembered their sister village, an Uzumaki would always be welcome in Konoha.

Kotetsu crouched down to the child’s level, the little girl looking back at him cautiously but without fear. _‘How old is she? She looks tiny, maybe five years or something?’_

“Hey, kid. What’s your name?”

The girl didn’t reply, only staring at him. Kotetsu looked up at his partner, who shrugged helplessly. Turning back to the girl, he asked, “Where are your parents?” When the girl slowly shook her head, he winced internally, feeling a pang of pity for the child. Most probably, they were dead.

Izumo knelt down next to Kotetsu, making those bright cerulean eyes focus on him. He offered a smile and held out a hand, “Why don’t you come with us?”

The girl tilted her head at him curiously, as if judging him. She nodded after a beat, placing her small hand in his larger one. Smiling a little wider, Izumo stood up and Kotetsu mirrored his movements.

They exchanged grave looks; both of them had noted the girl’s tattered clothes and some brown stains which they were sure were blood stains. Her feet were bare and scratched, revealing that she had walked a long way.

This had to be reported to the Hokage immediately.

Unknown to the two Chuunin, an ANBU operative had spotted the pair leaving their post and had stopped to watch them. When they walked back in, the dog masked ANBU nearly fell off his perch.

That hair was exactly the same shade as Kushina!

He hadn’t met any other Uzumaki to compare colours but he definitely recognized that shade. Without a second thought, he leapt down to land in front of the two startled Chuunin.

“Ah, Hound-san, this girl...” Izumo trailed off when the redhead pulled out of his grasp and dashed towards the newcomer. The trio tensed at the child’s actions but nothing could have prepared them for what happened next.

The girl practically threw herself at the ANBU, wrapping her arms around his legs tightly and clinging to him desperately. Her small shoulders shook slightly, like she was crying.

* * *

Kakashi didn’t know what to make of this strange girl who was hugging him and almost flinched at the contact. The redhead didn’t care though and held on with a deathly tight grip. After a moment’s pause, a muffled chuckle caught his attention and he whipped his head up to glare at the two Chuunin, not that they could see it.

“I’ll take her to Hokage-sama,” Kakashi ground out, releasing a bit of killing intent to shut the laughing pair up. Izumo and Kotetsu nodded, returning back to their guard duty with a quick salute. The ANBU sighed faintly, looking down at the girl who had yet to release him.

He reached down and tugged her arms off his legs, surprised when she readily let him go and picked her up. However, when Kakashi brought her close to get a better grip, her arms wrapped around him in a hug and she buried her face into his chest with a choked-off sob.

_‘Does this girl know me or something?’_

The silver haired ANBU mentally shrugged and leapt up to the roofs, setting course for the Hokage’s office, ignoring the curious glances sent his way by the few shinobi who spotted him.

Meanwhile, Kurama was ready to smack his idiotic host. They had just planned to not reveal anything before they analysed the situation and here was Naruto, clinging onto her former sensei like an octopus.

_“But Kurama! This is Kakashi-sensei!”_

Naruto wailed in her mindscape, blue eyes teary and mouth curled in a pout. Iruka may have been the first person to care for her as herself, but Kakashi had never looked at her with hate in his single grey eye. She knew that, as broken as Kakashi had been, he had tried to protect her.

**_“Are you going to tell him?”_ **

_“I think so,”_ Naruto sniffled, wiping her cheeks. She would probably have to, since there was no way she could come up with a completely plausible backstory and stick to it in front of her precious people.

Before the two could continue their conversation, Kakashi had reached the Hokage Tower and leapt in through the window to stand in front of the Hokage’s desk.

“Hokage-sama.”

Naruto turned slightly to see who sat at the desk and unsurprisingly, it was the Sandaime. He was just as old and wrinkled as she remembered. He looked at Kakashi and raised an eyebrow at the child cradled in his arms.

“Hound. Report.”

The ANBU straightened and set Naruto on the floor before speaking. “This girl was found in front of the gates, Hokage-sama. Her hair colour and chakra reserves show that she’s an Uzumaki.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen froze, staring down at the girl. His shinobi was right; that crimson hair was a few shades brighter than Uzumaki Mito but the exact shade as a feisty redhead in his memories. Her deep azure eyes made him flinch internally; they were familiar too but from where?

In the midst of his musings, Hiruzen had stood up and circled his desk to stand in front of the child, who looked up at him fearlessly. But before he could say a word, her hands rose up to form seals.

_:Privacy seals.:_

_Where had this girl learnt ANBU sign language?!_

Hound tensed, hand twitching at his side but the Sandaime shook his head, not breaking eye contact with the girl. The cerulean gaze never faltered, serious and grave, with a hint of command that made even him straighten subconsciously.

Finally the old man nodded, his hands forming the sign to activate the privacy seals in the Hokage office. No one would be able to see or hear anything happening. Much to his astonishment, the redhead looked around and scoffed.

“You call those privacy seals? So weak.”

Her hands flashed through a series of rapid signs and with a drop of chakra, she slammed her palms on the floor. Black lines erupted and crawled across the floor, glimmering a faint blue before fading back into black.

By this time, the dog masked ANBU had drawn his tanto and stood ready to attack. But both Hokage and subordinate were surprised to see the girl looking unimpressed, arms crossed over her chest.

“Who are you?”

A crimson eyebrow rose at the sharp question from the Hokage but she answered nevertheless.

“My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, daughter of the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato and the princess of Uzushio Uzumaki Kushina, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, Second Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces and Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha.”

Silence reigned in the room at the confident declaration, both Hiruzen and Kakashi too dumbfounded to respond.

“Oh, and I’m also actually nineteen.”

This shook them out of their stupor and the Sandaime snapped, “That’s impossible. Who are you really, girl?”

Naruto shrugged, rocking back on her heels. “It’s the truth. But I’m not of this time, or maybe dimension. I was fighting the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya and was flung here by accident.” At this, her face darkened and she muttered lowly, “But I guess there’s no point in going back.”

Grimacing, the old Hokage looked up at Kakashi who nodded weakly and signed, _:I checked with my Sharingan. She’s not lying.:_

He turned his attention back to the child, “And your proof? How can I believe your words?” Naruto stared at him as if asking if _he_ was dumb, “I’m pretty sure Hound-san verified my words as truth. And who else would know what I just told you? The villagers are too stupid and immersed in hate to recognize the Kyuubi container as the child of their beloved Yondaime and only a few knew that he was actually married.”

Hiruzen sighed, conceding to the girl and waving for his ANBU to stand down. Hound relaxed a little and was about to leave when the redhead yelled and latched onto him, “Ah, don’t go, Kakashi-sensei!”

“S-Sensei?!” the silver-haired ANBU croaked, looking down at the girl who grinned and nodded cheerfully, “Yeah! You were my Genin team instructor!”

Kakashi met his Hokage’s gaze, who sighed, “You might as well take off your mask, Kakashi-kun. She already knows you.”

Dumbstruck, the ANBU did as told and wasn’t prepared for when Naruto jumped up. He tumbled to the floor, the little redhead seated on his chest as she traced his face with slightly trembling hands. Once she was satisfied, she offered him a wobbly smile and whispered, “I’m glad to see you alive, sensei.”

The quiet words stunned him and he stared straight into her eyes, eyes that reminded him of Minato-sensei. “You’re really...”

Naruto only grinned again and scrambled off him. “Before I say anything else, Jiji, is my counterpart running around somewhere?”

Hiruzen, who had been watching the interaction of the two younger ones thoughtfully, answered, “Yes, but...” He paused, staring at her with a bewildered expression.

“Our Naruto is a boy,” Kakashi continued from behind her. “He also has whisker marks on his cheeks and is blond.”

The redhead blinked, shocked for a moment before she shook her head. “Dimension travel then,” she muttered and performed the Henge without any hand seals. When the smoke cleared, a teen dressed in a black kimono top and black shorts with knee high kunoichi boots stood in place of the redhead; she had long blond hair tied back in a braid that reached past her waist, tanned skin and three whisker marks on each cheek. Her eyes were still the same cerulean.

“This is how I looked before the dimension travel,” Naruto spoke, spinning around lazily. Kakashi cleared his throat, quietly saying, “You look a lot like Minato-sensei. But the shape of your eyes is like Kushina-san.” Naruto beamed at him and let the Henge drop.

Hiruzen spoke up this time, “Now you look like a mini-Kushina, minus the eyes. Fine, I believe you. Can you tell me why you are here, Naruto?”

The atmosphere turned serious again and the young redhead nodded, taking a seat on a chair in front of the Hokage’s desk while Kakashi stood behind the Hokage.

“Okay, short version is that an organization gathered all the Bijuu to form the Juubi which resulted in the resurrection of the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya. All the five shinobi nations had come together to fight against her in a war that lasted two years. Out of thousands of shinobi, only three remained including me. In our last stand, two space-time ninjutsu collided with a mass of chakra which sent me falling through the tears in the dimension.”

The two men paled further at each word, the Sandaime speaking once it was clear that Naruto wasn’t continuing, “And that’s the short version? Do I even want to hear the long version?”

Naruto shook her head, red locks tumbling over her shoulders. “I won’t tell you everything, Jiji. If we change too much, then the timeline may diverge too much. Even now, there is no guarantee that everything will go like it did in my world.”

Hiruzen looked like he was about to protest, but one glance at her darkened eyes told him to shut up. This child in front of him had seen far worse things than he ever had and he could see both Minato’s brilliance and Kushina’s stubbornness in her. Naruto wouldn’t be speaking.

“Do you intend to do everything on your own then?” he queried instead, staring keenly at her.

“Of course not,” Naruto answered, smiling wistfully as she recalled Itachi’s words to her against taking the weight of the world on her shoulders alone. “I’ll give you information when necessary and I’ll leave you to take your own actions, Jiji.”

The Sandaime sighed, knowing that she had been once a Kage too which sparked another question. “You said you were the Rokudaime; who was Godaime?”

Naruto brightened and replied cheerfully, “Tsunade-baa-chan!”

“Tsunade? She returned to the village then?” Hiruzen mused, wondering what kind of relationship the redhead and his former student had had in the other dimension. Thoughts of his students inevitably led to the one who had strayed and Naruto, noting his dimming eyes, asked, “Orochimaru defected here as well?”

 _‘Guess some things don’t change,’_ Naruto thought, when Kakashi nodded. A beat later she revealed, “In my time, Orochimaru created a new village, Oto and attacked Konoha during the Chuunin Exam when I was twelve. He succeeded in killing you, Jiji.”

She stared at the Hokage, who looked like he had aged ten years in a heartbeat. “You couldn’t bring yourself to kill him and so he succeeded. I don’t want you to die, Jiji, so I’m warning you right now.”

To his credit, Hiruzen didn’t react at that and simply filed away the information for later. He simply said, “You don’t seem to like me very much, Naruto.”

The redhead tilted her head to the side, expression thoughtful. Both the men couldn’t help but see Minato in her at that moment, the same deep gaze that the Yondaime had when he was thinking of something serious.

“How old is little Naruto now?”

The seemingly random question threw them off but Kakashi managed to pull his wits quick enough to answer. “He just turned three. Today is October 13, if you’re wondering.”

Naruto nodded her absently, muttering, “So I’m four years older than him now, huh...” She visibly shook herself. “Never mind. I want full custody of my younger self, Jiji; I won’t take no for an answer.”

Hiruzen bristled inwardly at the stern tone, protesting, “The boy is safe in the orphanage. I can’t just hand him over to you.”

“Safe? _Safe?_ ” Naruto scoffed, anger and tension in her frame. “Tell me, does the village know that he is the Jinchuuriki? No, don’t answer that; I can tell by your expressions.”

The redhead hopped off the chair, pacing across the office. “You asked me if I didn’t like you, Jiji. At one point you were one of my precious people. You were the only one who cared about me openly. _Then why did you allow Danzo to let the people know I was the Jinchuuriki?!_ ”

Naruto’s voice rose to a crescendo, echoing in the room. Her expression was feral, looking as if she would rip the Sandaime to pieces with her teeth. A sharp gasp behind him reminded Hiruzen of Kakashi’s presence and he turned to see pure betrayal in the mismatched eyes.

“Hokage-sama?”

The ANBU’s voice was a mere whisper, flat and toneless but Hiruzen flinched nevertheless. That was confirmation enough for Kakashi to make him abandon his position and flicker away to stand next to the redheaded girl.

“Why, Hokage-sama?”

The Sarutobi knew that no matter what excuse he provided, he would never appease his successor’s student and the female counterpart of Minato’s legacy. All he had left was the truth. “The people were unsettled after the Kyuubi attack; I couldn’t afford for them to riot after we had faced such a huge loss.”

“Better one than the whole village, right?”

Deep bitterness coated the girl’s words and Kakashi couldn’t help but want to comfort her. Here he was, a teen who had sworn to never let anyone close to him ever again but this girl had already wormed her way into his shattered heart, just like a blond ball of sunshine across the village. No matter where, Naruto was Naruto after all.

Said girl took a deep breath and her expression cleared, settling on a blank mask. “I won’t budge on this, Jiji. You are not mine and I do hope this is the only mistake you’ve committed to your Naruto. He _will_ come with me.”

Hiruzen had no choice but to concede; the redhead’s tone revealed a lot that was unspoken. He had the feeling that his counterpart had made a lot more mistakes and not just in regards to Naruto. He simply nodded, “Where do you want to live?”

“There’s an abandoned house on the outskirts of the village, near the training grounds. I want that. At this point, it shouldn’t be too rundown.”

“I’ll help you fix it, if you want,” Kakashi offered tentatively. No matter what, he was still a shinobi of Konoha and had a duty to his village. He also didn’t want attachments!

Naruto looked up at him with a teasing smile, as if she knew what he was thinking and accepted it.

Who was he kidding, he was already attached.

“If that’s settled, time for my backstory!” Naruto switched moods instantly, going from blank to cheer in the blink of an eye. “Obviously, we can’t tell the truth and thanks to the changes, I won’t be taken for a Namikaze. So Uzumaki it is!”

The Sandaime gaped at the swift change but schooled his features quickly. “I’m fairly certain there are some surviving Uzumaki scattered across the Five Nations. We can say that you’re part of a family who were killed in a bandit attack. From one of the recent mission reports, there was actually one such incident which resulted in the death of a redheaded couple. You can say that you’re their daughter.”

Naruto squinted at the Sandaime suspiciously. “That’s awfully convenient, Jiji. It’s too much of a coincidence. Were they actually from the Uzumaki Clan?”

“We have no proof but it’s the best we have. It would have to do. As for your name-”

“I’ll change my name,” Naruto cut him off abruptly. “I won’t take that away from this dimension’s Naruto.”

Hiruzen’s eyes softened. He understood that to the girl in front of him, her name was all she had of her parents. But she was willing to give it up for the sake of a child who still had a long future ahead of him.

“Very well. Do you have a new name?”

“I-I...”

**_“Kit.”_ **

_“You’ve been really quiet, Kurama,”_ Naruto whispered teasingly in her mindscape, showing a brave face despite her tears. The great fox lowered his head and bumped the girl with his nose, huffing slightly when she wrapped her arms -or attempted to- around his snout.

**_“Will you let me name you?”_ **

Naruto froze, stunned. A few moments passed before she agreed, a small smile curling her lips and joy blooming on her face. Who else but her long-time companion to name her?

Kurama watched his container, a glint of fondness in his blood-red eyes. **_“Light of hope.”_**

_“Huh?”_

**_“You were our hope, Naruto. The first human who held out a hand to us Bijuu with no ulterior motives or expectation of reciprocation.”_ **

The girl stared dumbly at her friend who spoke words that she’d never expected to hear. But she stayed quiet, understanding that Kurama would never repeat it.

**_“Hikari. Kibou no Hikari.”_ **

In the real world, a bright smile illuminated the girl’s face, stunning the two men at how genuine it was, the way it lit up the entire room.

“Hikari! Uzumaki Hikari!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *From next chapter, female!Naruto will be referred to as Hikari
> 
> Please do leave a comment!
> 
> Posted: 24/04/2020


	2. Shopping, Seals and a Chidori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikari being the whirlwind she is; poor Kakashi ends up swept along and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the positive responses to the first chapter!  
> Hope this chapter lives up to expectation too.
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Kakashi stared at the girl browsing through clothing, his single eye showing no expression. Once the necessary paperwork had been completed, the Sandaime had assigned him to be Hikari’s -formerly Naruto- temporary guard. Both of them were well aware that with the Uzumaki’s proficiency in Fuuinjutsu, she would need no protection.

Actually, now that he thought about it, Kakashi could tell that he was meant to be a watcher than a guard: Hikari was still a newcomer and her loyalty to Konoha would need to be verified, at least for the Council. The fact that she was a dimension traveller from another version of the village was an S-ranked secret, to be revealed to others only by Hikari herself.

The teen had discarded his ANBU issued armour and pulled on a black full sleeved shirt to hide his ANBU tattoo. Once out of the Hokage Tower, Hikari had immediately dragged him towards a shinobi supplies store and hence his current predicament.

He watched as the redhead pulled out two kimono-style shirts, one black with white trimmings and the other a dark orange with black trimmings. She seemed undecided as to which one to pick so Kakashi said, “Just take both; you’ll need more than one set of clothes anyway.”

Hikari considered that for a moment then shook her head, putting back the orange one. “I love orange but that much orange will clash with my hair,” she said regretfully. She pulled off a white obi and black shorts from the shelves along with a pair of black shinobi sandals and dashed off to the dressing rooms. Kakashi stared; that girl had way too much energy.

Wanting to get the shopping over with quickly -he was getting irritated by the stares though he didn’t show it- the teen wandered off to the weapons section. No matter what others might say against giving an unknown person weapons, Kakashi figured that the girl would appreciate a few sets of kunai and shuriken.

Belatedly, Kakashi realized that he too should be against it. Meh, too much trouble to think about it now.

And he knew _who_ she was.

See, no problems at all!

“What are you doing?”

The teen didn’t startle but it was a near thing; he hadn’t sensed the redhead approach him at all. He looked down to see Hikari staring at him curiously.

 _‘She looks more like Kushina-san now,’_ Kakashi thought with a flicker of pain. Hikari’s clothes were a near mirror of her mother’s as a Genin with a few differences and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.

In lieu of an answer, Kakashi held up the kunai holder and hip pouch. He didn’t think he could speak at that moment without choking up. Thankfully, the girl was sufficiently distracted by the two items, eyes gleaming as she grabbed them out of his hands. Hikari nodded in approval after a quick inspection, bounding over to the cashier and looking back at her companion impatiently.

Kakashi sauntered over, casting a quick glare when the clerk at the counter looked like he was about to make an unwelcome comment. The man’s mouth shut so quickly that it made a loud clacking sound, which would have amused the teen hadn’t he already been annoyed. He handed the required amount of money when the cowed clerk stuttered the numbers and stalked out the doors.

“Hey! Wait up!”

The redhead ran out of the store with a huff; this version of her sensei seemed to be a bit more sensitive to people staring at him. She noticed Kakashi slowing down a little at her shout but he didn’t wait, making her run a little faster and grab onto his hand.

“I said wait, idiot!”

Hikari didn’t miss the minuscule flinch that passed through Kakashi when her hand touched his but she didn’t comment, simply holding on with a loose grip. Much to her surprise, he didn’t withdraw but let her hold on, though a little tense.

 _‘Is he so unused to friendly contact that he doesn’t know how to react?’_ she pondered mournfully. Her Kakashi wasn’t one for much physical contact either but he was comfortable enough not to be bothered by it. _‘It’s only been three years here,’_ Hikari recalled with a frown. _‘Kakashi-sensei did tell me that he only interacted with everyone after he was pulled out of ANBU by Jiji since he was getting more and more reckless.’_

That hadn’t happened here yet and so he was still isolated. Hikari vowed to change that; even if he wasn’t _hers_ , he was still Kakashi. Speaking of which....

“Hey, Kakashi-san?”

The silver-haired teen blinked at the change in honorific, since she’d been calling him sensei since the beginning. She probably understood that in a shinobi village where anyone could be eavesdropping, continuing to call him as such would raise questions, questions that they couldn’t answer. Also, _he_ wasn’t her teacher.

“Hmm?”

“How old are you now?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Just answer the question already!”

Hikari pouted at him, cheeks puffing up adorably. Younger Kakashi was way more annoying than Kakashi-sensei!

“I just want to know! Tell me!”

Kakashi shrugged. “Just make your own guess.”

Eyebrow twitching in annoyance, the redhead harrumphed and switched directions while thinking back to what she knew about the infuriating Hatake. In her dimension, he’d joined ANBU at thirteen; that was a year before she was born. If things were the same in this world, then doing the math he’d be...

“...seventeen?” Hikari guessed, looking up at the teen who shot a faintly surprised look at her, not that she could see much thanks to the mask that covered most of his face. He nodded slightly, making her grin brightly.

“Correct. Where are we going?”

Not bothered by the abrupt question, the redhead chirped, “I need furniture, cleaning supplies and groceries! We need to fix up a few rooms at the house before we go to the orphanage.”

A single nod was her only answer and Hikari rolled her eyes. She didn’t really expect much conversation from him anyway.

* * *

“Why do you need so many beds? It’s going to be you and the kid only.”

“Yes, but I plan to have at least three guestrooms,” Hikari replied patiently, casting a critical eye over the available mattresses. Perhaps futons might be better? They took much less space. _‘Hmm, maybe a few of both? Jiji did give me quite a bit of money and I should be able to afford them.’_

Okay, four beds then! One for her, one for little Naruto: _‘Would he roll over? Are guard rails necessary for now?’_ ; one for Kakashi for when she inevitably makes him stay over and one for any unexpected guests, not that she was expecting any but it always helped to be prepared.

Signalling for the bemused store attendant to seal the four chosen beds and four futons into storage scrolls for easy transportation, Hikari moved to other essentials like bedding and towels. Taking pity on a stiff Kakashi, she breezed through the remaining items on her mental list; bedrooms were done and she didn’t know what the bathrooms at the house had, so she settled for basic toiletries and cleaning supplies.

Next was the kitchen; a simple table with four chairs was sealed up immediately and a stove, an oven, a fridge, a set of shelves, crockery and cooking utensils went in short order. Kakashi was mildly impressed at the speed the redhead whizzed through the store, gaining some measure of amusement at the open mouthed gawking of the employees and other customers.

It wasn’t often that a tiny slip of a girl bossed around adults like it was nothing.

Once again to make the shopping trip shorter, Kakashi slipped into a nearby section and quickly purchased a standard washing machine, a couple of closets and desks with chairs and finally a couch for the living room. That should be enough for now, right?

He made his way to where he felt Hikari’s chakra signature, noting that she was at the front of the store. Said girl was waiting for him, arms crossed behind her back and a knowing grin painting her face. Kakashi quickly paid for everything, thankful that it wasn’t actually coming out of his own pocket. When Hikari grabbed onto his hand with a cheery “Last stop: groceries!” he didn’t flinch, internally wondering when he had gotten so comfortable.

At the grocery store, however, the pair hit a snag. Hikari had happily pulled out a cart and had started pushing it in front of her but her steps had slowly decreased in speed and eventually she stopped in place.

The silver haired teen looked at her quizzically, inwardly surprised at the flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. She met his gaze for a moment then cerulean orbs flickered away, now staring at her feet.

“I don’t know how to pick out fruits and vegetables.”

_What._

Kakashi’s brain ground to a halt at the whispered admission. Hikari had been completely fine while shopping earlier so he had assumed she knew what she was doing; she was, after all, actually nineteen years old. How would she not know this?

A quiet sniffle brought him out of his thoughts and he returned his attention to the little girl who, much to his alarm, had tears beading at the corners of her eyes. Discreetly looking around and finding no one watching them, Kakashi crouched down to her level.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” sniffed Hikari, valiantly attempting to put on a brave face and wiping the few tears that had escaped with her sleeve. “When I was....back then, I was hated by the villagers. No one would sell anything to me and what little they did was always obviously rotten. Cup ramen was the only thing I could buy.”

The haltingly spoken words did nothing to quell the rage mounting within Kakashi. Was this what his Naruto would have had to face, if it were not for this girl in front of him? All of a sudden, some things made sense. Hikari, even in her adult form, was much too short; how much of that was due to natural occurrences and how much due to malnutrition? It was amazing how she had grown up as much as she had.

No wonder Hikari wouldn’t budge on her wanting custody of Naruto.

Humming thoughtfully, Kakashi stood up. He took control of the cart, making the girl look at him in confusion. He led her over to the fruits section and picked up an apple.

“You should check the colour first,” he said, holding out the fruit to her and Hikari took it after a moment’s hesitation. “Ripe apples normally have a bright red and should be firm when squeezed slightly.”

The redhead rolled the apple in her hands, squeezing it uncertainly. “So this one is ripe?”

Kakashi nodded, then tilted his head towards the rest of the apples. “Go on; pick out a few.”

Hikari dropped the apple in her hand into the cart and slowly reached towards the fruit, selecting one at a time and showing them to Kakashi who would nod in approval whenever she got it right.

“What about bananas?” she asked, looking at a display of yellow fruits. “All I know is that yellow ones are ripe.”

“Depends on when you plan to eat them.” The ANBU took a green banana in one hand and yellow in the other. “If you don’t want to eat them in a day or two, get green ones; those are raw and will ripen over time so you can eat them later.”

Hikari voiced her understanding, placing a few of each type into the cart. The pair continued this process until the cart was filled with good amounts of both fruit and vegetables. Once she deemed that they had enough, they slipped into the condiments section where she was much more comfortable, much to the tall teen’s surprise.

“It’s more of knowing what I want in here,” she said and left it at that.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow when Hikari skipped the meat section entirely, picking up a few eggs and some candy before pushing the cart to the counters. Noticing his expression, she gestured for him to lean over and when he did, whispered softly into his ear, “If I go by my experiences, Naruto would not be able to stomach them at this time. They’d just go to waste.”

Sensing Kakashi was about to ask what she meant by that, Hikari shook her head, crimson ponytail swishing through the air. “Tell you later.”

Once they were done and had exited the store, Kakashi picked up the girl with no warning whatsoever which earned him a half-hearted hit to the shoulder and took to the roofs. The house they were heading to was on the other side of Konoha and travelling by rooftops was faster.

And was also easier to avoid nosy civilians and shinobi.

“Tell me now,” he practically ordered the girl in his arms. He knew he had already failed Minato-sensei’s legacy. After the Kyuubi attack three years ago, he had barely laid an eye on Naruto except for when he passed by the orphanage during his patrols. Kakashi knew very well that the kid wasn’t happy, being on the receiving side of the village’s hate and prejudice. And now this girl was suggesting something that was clearly _not_ nice.

Hikari’s arms tightened around Kakashi’s neck for an instant, thrown off by the vehement tone. A few seconds later she answered, “While I was at the orphanage, I would hardly get fed. Sometimes I would get food only once a day but it would be just a cup of water and a slice of old bread.” She had never told anyone about her experiences before, not even to her Kakashi. So she was surprised when the words came out easier than she had expected.

“What else?”

“My _bedroom_ was a tiny storage closet and sometimes the attic when they thought to punish me for nothing. They would leave me in there for days with nothing but a glass of water.” Even though it had been years since she had left that horrid place, Hikari still remembered the days that she had spent lying in the dust or in the closet smelling of chemicals.

She continued, voice bland and eyes distant, “During winter days, I would never be given warm clothing. Not even an extra blanket. If they felt like it, I would be locked out during the night in the snow.” The redhead subconsciously shivered, mentally going back to those days for an instant.

Kurama’s warm chakra surging through her system and Kakashi’s tightening grip on her waist brought her back and she shook her head to clear it. Despite being aware of the waves of anger and regret practically pouring off the teen, she uttered the words that would deal the final blow.

“I was four when they threw me out.”

* * *

It spoke volumes of his restraint and control when Kakashi’s only reaction to that last statement was to twitch and go still. He paused on the roof of an apartment complex and struggled to comprehend the meaning behind those simple words. Hikari was oddly silent, letting him process.

When he finally spoke, his voice came out a deadly hiss. “ **What?** ”

To Hikari’s credit, she only shrugged and said, “They had had enough of the Demon Brat darkening their doorstep.” She continued when Kakashi started moving again, acknowledging his silent plea, “No one cared; for all they knew, the monster was out of their lives. I lived in the streets of the Red Light District then in the forest when even the people there started throwing stuff at me.”

“Were you ever...?”

The girl laughed at the hesitant question, an edge of something dark in the otherwise pleasant sound. She wasn’t the naive and bubbly girl from her childhood. No matter what she pretended, her experiences did leave a mark on her very soul.

“Fortunately, no. They did beat me up and left me to die multiple times. I had to scrounge food from the garbage bins and the forest. Honestly, I think I would have been over a thousand times dead if it weren’t for my Uzumaki vitality and my special guest.”

“Where was Sandaime-sama during all of this?”

 _And me_ , but that went unvoiced. Regardless, Hikari promptly answered with a tinge of hurt and bitterness, “He thought the orphanage would report any changes to him and didn’t check on me himself. My usual ANBU was out of the village on a long term mission and so there was no one to watch over me.”

Kakashi’s grip on her waist tightened with each word and she inwardly winced but outwardly showed no reaction. She would probably have bruises if not for her healing ability.

But her tenant wasn’t so kind.

A small burst of corrosive chakra burnt the ANBU’s hand and he let out a low hiss of pain but thankfully didn’t drop her, instead shifting her to his other arm while studying his burnt skin.

 _“Kurama!”_ the girl chided the kitsune but her tone was entirely fond, thereby losing its effect.

**_“Tch. He was hurting you, brat.”_ **

Hikari rolled her eyes at him, batting a hand at the Kyuubi’s black nose. _“Yes, but he didn’t mean to. Lay off.”_

Resurfacing from her mindscape, Hikari found Kakashi staring at her with a raised eyebrow and grinned sheepishly. “He,” she jabbed a finger at her abdomen, “didn’t like the grip you had on me. It’s fine,” she added when the single grey eye widened in horror. “You didn’t mean it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Eh, I’ve had worse than that. Oh, we’re here!”

During the course of their conversation, the pair had reached their destination. Hikari jumped out of Kakashi’s arms, landing on the grass silently. She walked around the house, eyeing it critically.

“Huh. It looks better than I expected.”

Kakashi followed her as she went inside, asking her, “How long were you in the forest?”

“Hmm?” the redhead hummed absently as she inspected the walls. The paint was peeling in some places but the walls themselves seemed sturdy and untouched. “Oh! I don’t know; from a few months to a year, I guess? Jiji found me and gave me my own apartment later.”

The teen silently followed her, contemplating everything he had learnt about the counterpart of his sensei’s child. What kind of person would allow a child to live alone without any supervision? Oh, that’s right: the Sandaime. Just what was he thinking?!

“I think the house is fine; it just needs to be cleaned up,” Hikari interrupted his thoughts, making her way out of the building. Walking a few metres away from the front porch, she knelt down in the grass and cleared a patch of the ground, placing a palm flat against it.

A seal appeared under her palm and she checked it over, nodding when she saw no mistakes. Hikari stood up and walked over to another spot some distance. Unable to contain his curiosity, Kakashi moved to study the seal. It was a dull black, indicating that it wasn’t active yet. He didn’t claim to be a Seal Master, but Kakashi knew his way around most seals, a perk of knowing Minato and Kushina.

But this seal was something he had never seen before, filled with kanji in unfamiliar positions and more swirls than lines. All he could gather was that it was a defensive seal and could be part of a network of seals.

“Understood it?” Hikari called out cheerily as she walked over to where the teen was crouched, having placed all the seals she needed.

“No,” the ANBU said with slight awe in his voice.

“Need an explanation?”

“...please.”

The redhead beamed and flopped down to sit next to him, brushing her ponytail over her shoulder so that it wouldn’t fall on the grass. She pointed to the top right quadrant, “That one, as you might have figured out, is a barrier component. It’s anchored to the chakra leyline, so no one can dig underground and get inside or disrupt the network.”

“The top left quadrant is a chakra sensing component. I can key any number of people into the barrier to allow them access. That’s why it’s so complicated,” Hikari explained sheepishly. “Normal barrier seals allow only about five people to be keyed in.”

Kakashi nodded, understanding the implicit meaning that it was used during the war in her original world, where multiple people must have been sheltered within one barrier.

“What about this part?” he asked quietly, indicating the bottom left quadrant. Hikari answered promptly, “An emotion sensor. No one who holds any kind of ill intent against the ones inside the barrier, or actually, any kind of ill intent, can get in. I considered tying it to a trap seal but I’m holding that off for now.”

“Then this last bit,” she tapped a finger against the bottom right quadrant. “It’s a chakra storage and emission component. Quite a tricky one to integrate into this seal,” she grumbled, recalling all the times she’d been burned and blasted away in the process of the creation of the seal.

“Hmm...to store any chakra that hits the barrier and blast it back when the amount stored reaches a certain level?”

“Correct~”

“How did you even come up with this kind of seal?” the ANBU muttered. “Even Minato-sensei and Jiraiya-sama had never thought of it. And you didn’t even have to draw it physically.”

The response was rather sad.

“War, Kakashi-san. War made it necessary.”

* * *

“So!” Hikari clapped her hands together, a mischievous grin reminiscent of Kushina adorning her face. “Which side of the barrier do you want to be on when I activate it?”

Kakashi swallowed. If he was outside, then to reach Hikari he would have to cross the boundary; had he even the tiniest bit of ill-intent against her, he wouldn’t be able to get in. He would avoid that if he was inside. But...

“I’ll stay outside.”

Hikari looked pleasantly surprised.

“I was joking, Kakashi-san. I wouldn’t care-“

The ANBU was already shaking his head. “I’m loyal to Konoha but I don’t want to betray you either. This is for me as much as it is for you.”

Cerulean eyes caught his gaze and held it for one long heart-stopping moment. Then Hikari nodded, face set in a mask of determination and so much approval that it made Kakashi’s breath catch.

Then Hikari pressed her hands to the seal and pushed her chakra into it, making it light up. A blue chakra line emerged from the seal and shot across the grass to the next seal in the network, the process continuing until all of them were linked. Then walls of pure chakra rose from the lines, pulsing blue for a few seconds before disappearing.

“The barrier’s set.”

Nodding at Hikari’s words, Kakashi steeled himself and took a step, telling himself that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t regret his choice. Another step and he closed his eye, not wanting to see the moment when he inevitably failed.

A warm body collided against him and arms wrapped around his torso, startling him. Hikari was clinging to him again, feet dangling in the air and he settled his hands on her shoulders, looking back in shock to see that he had actually crossed the boundary.

What?

“I didn’t think you actually believed me,” Hikari said softly, pulling away with one last squeeze. “I didn’t really give you much reason to trust me. If you hadn’t made it across, I wouldn’t have minded.”

 _‘But you would have been hurt,’_ Kakashi countered mentally, eye still locked on the near invisible chakra boundary. What the redhead said was true; even if she hadn’t lied, she didn’t reveal much either. It was unlike him to trust anyone so easily. He had kept everyone at arm’s length after every loss, not wanting to get attached to someone then lose them anyway.

Yet this girl had somehow settled into a corner of his heart in the span of a few hours, not even half a day. The realization made him feel just a little bit lighter.

Hand moving of its own accord, Kakashi ruffled the girl’s hair, the crimson locks silky to the touch. Hikari froze, staring up at him with open wonder in her blue eyes. After a moment she smiled, so wide and sincere that he couldn’t help but smile back, his single eye closing in a smile too.

“Ah! You just smiled!”

He just ruffled her hair again in response, making her whine and slap at his hand playfully.

Maybe he too could start again.

Maybe he could have this.

The pair walked back into the house, Hikari flicking on the switches and watching as the lights flickered on. “Well, the electricity works,” she stated. “And I already checked the water supply so we don’t need to worry about that. We just need to clean up.”

Kakashi stared at her, expression deadpan. “This place is huge, with over ten rooms. How are we going to do it with just the two of us?”

The mischievous grin made an appearance again as the redhead crossed her hands in a familiar hand seal. “Like this! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!”

Twenty clones popped into existence around the original, all of them grinning at the stunned teen. “Eh, looks like we broke Kakashi-san,” one clone snickered, reaching up to poke his mask covered cheek.

“Just how much chakra do you have?!”

The original shrugged, “This is nothing; the first time I performed the jutsu, I made about a thousand clones and I’m fairly certain my chakra reserves were smaller back then.”

“...you’re crazy, you know that?”

“Yep!”

Hikari and Kakashi decided to tackle the living room while the clones scampered off to the other rooms, a couple heading outside. In silent agreement, they peeled off the old wallpaper. After quickly dusting the room and fixing a few holes in the floor, Kakashi opted to paint the walls while Hikari set about fixing the windows and embedding some seals in the wood.

An hour passed and most of the cleaning was complete, leaving only the furniture to be arranged.

“Hey, Boss; which room do you want?” a clone asked, popping its head over the staircase from the second floor.

“You’re me; you should know!” Hikari shouted back, waving a paintbrush at her clone.

“We have different thought processes, Boss,” the clone deadpanned, sparking an argument. Kakashi watched the original and the clone squabble with growing amusement, the clone dispelling with a puff of smoke when Hikari finally got annoyed enough to chuck the paintbrush in her hand at it.

“Argh, stupid clone!” the redhead pouted, rising to her feet. “We’re done here; want to go pick out rooms?”

The silver haired teen froze. “What?”

Hikari cast an annoyed glare at him over her shoulder. “What, you didn’t think I wouldn’t make you stay over? If you’re the same as in my world, you barely go back to that place you call your apartment. And since you’re currently in ANBU, you’re probably not eating or sleeping properly. Of course I’d force you to stay here!”

Kakashi stared some more. “Why?”

_Why do you care?_

“I’m not your Kakashi.”

Pausing mid-step, Hikari spun around to regard the teen standing in the middle of her living room with a lost look, her own expression showing understanding. “You’re not him,” she agreed easily. “And you probably won’t turn out the same as him. My Kakashi-sensei is long gone. But you’re you. You’re still Kakashi, my friend. I do care.”

With that, she bounded up the stairs, leaving the dumbfounded teen to make his choices. On the second floor, Hikari looked through each room, finally narrowing down the two rooms facing the village. She settled on the room on the right and popped her head in, spotting a clone dusting the ceiling.

“Hey Boss! Chose this room? The view’s great!”

“Yeah,” she agreed, making her way to the window. Hikari could see the Hokage Mountain clearly, the trees surrounding the property hiding most of the village from view. It was why she had chosen this house: it was quite a distance away from the village, so no villagers would come bothering them but close enough that she could get there if she wanted.

Shaking her head, Hikari turned to look at her room. It was quite spacious, windows on two walls and a connecting door to the room further inside. _‘Maybe Naruto would like that room’,_ she thought absently.

“So, colours...I know! Paint this wall violet,” she gestured to the one that shared a wall with the other room facing the village, “and the rest white!”

“Will do, Boss!”

In her mindscape, Kurama lazily opened one red eye. **_“Why violet and not that eyesore orange?”_**

_“Hey, don’t diss the orange! You’re orange too!”_

The fox scoffed and retorted, **_“You’re obsessed with neon orange and that colour is absolutely atrocious.”_**

Hikari couldn’t really refute that. _“Argh, fine! You win...”_

**_“So? Why violet?”_ **

The redhead snuggled against the fox’s side, sighing happily. _“Because red and blue make purple! But I don’t really like that shade, so violet!”_

Kurama stared at his container for a moment and then snorted, closing his eyes. **_“Humans; so sappy.”_**

_“Admit it, you like it!”_

With another snort, the fox pushed her out of the mindscape. He was perhaps, maybe, a little, -mind you, just a little- a teensy bit touched.

But he’d rather bijuudama himself than admit it.

Back in the real world, Hikari realized that her clone was halfway done with painting so she handed it the scrolls containing her bed and desk to set up when the paint was dry. She slipped out, poking her head into the next room.

“I like this room; paint it grey for me, won’t you?”

Kakashi’s voice sounded next to her but she didn’t jump, already aware that he had made his way up. “No way! Grey is too depressing; silvery grey is better!”

It was only after the retort left her mouth that she comprehended Kakashi’s words. “...what?”

He eye-smiled at her -and wasn’t _that_ a shock- and said, “You offered me a room; I’m just taking you up on it.”

Hikari flailed, surprise on her features. “Yeah, but I didn’t expect you to decide so quickly! I thought I’d have to pester you into it!”

“Maa, surprise?”

“And you’re so relaxed now! You were all so stiff and formal before! Just...what?”

Gaze softening, Kakashi ruffled her hair, marvelling at the fact that she trusted him enough to allow it. He knew that this was somewhat out of character for him but he couldn’t help it; his walls just slid down around this girl. Probably, they’d go right back up when he left her presence -he wasn’t quite fine mentally- but it was impossible to stay cold and standoffish to her.

If Hikari could influence him this much, he shuddered to think what kind of an effect Naruto would have.

But back to her question.

“From what I understand, you’ve already seen me at my worst and still aren’t judging me. You hold no expectations.”

And Hikari...got it.

She too had felt the weight of people’s expectations; they expected her to be smiling always, ever so cheerful and willing to help. But she had her darkness as well, perhaps a bit better hidden than most. And those expectations were always more crushing than any threat.

“So, silvery grey?” Hikari asked with a smile. Kakashi shrugged, as if saying ‘if I must’.

Chuckling, she tossed a scroll at him. “Get painting then. I’m going to check the other rooms.” She ducked out of the room as Kakashi waved her off, glancing into the other two bedrooms and deciding not to paint them until she had Naruto. He would love to choose his own room.

Hikari sent off one of her clones to help Kakashi and peeked into the bathroom. There was already a clone there, cleaning the bathtub. Just like the rest of the house, the bathroom was huge with a bathtub _and_ a separate shower area.

The clone waved to her and said, “We need to replace the shower curtains, Boss. The mirror’s broken too but everything else works fine.”

“That’s more than I expected,” Hikari mused and shook her head. “We might have to go shopping after Naruto’s settled in. Would save time that way.”

There was one more room on the second floor; she found it had a decent cupboard with sliding doors and quite a few shelves on the walls. _‘This would serve as a storage room.’_

Making a clone, Hikari handed it the scroll containing the extra futons and blankets. “Clean this place and put everything away. Think you have enough chakra to place some air purifying seals in here? It would be easier than having to air out the room every time.”

The clone made a face, “Have enough chakra? I have enough to place seals all over the house and run ten laps around Konoha!”

Hikari rolled her eyes at her clone’s antics and walked out with a wave, climbing the stairs to the third floor. There were six rooms on this level as well, one of them a bathroom. She honestly had no idea what to do with those, so after making sure that the bathroom was fine -this one needed shower curtains and a mirror too- and that the rooms were clean and painted -a generic pale yellow-, she dispelled the clones on the third floor.

Muffled thuds above her head made her curious and she looked around, spotting a staircase leading to the roof. Hikari climbed up, poking her head out the door. Two of her clones were throwing out stuff from a room located towards the front of the house.

“What’s in there?”

“Hiya, Boss!” a clone threw a mock salute at her, while dumping a bag that landed on the floor with a heavy thud. “Most of it is just trash but there are some gardening tools, albeit a bit rusty. We were going to take them downstairs later.”

“Huh...”

Hikari looked around, taking in the space and delighting in the feel of the wind ruffling her hair. “Think we can set up a clothes line here? It’s pretty windy and the sun isn’t blocked out.”

“Definitely!”

As if on cue, the clone still inside the room threw out a clothes line set wrapped in plastic and did a victory dance. “It’s not damaged at all!”

“I’ll leave you to it then; bring the gardening tools down when you’re finished. We can see if one of the first floor rooms can be made into a shed of sorts,” the original ordered. “Or maybe we can build a shed later...”

* * *

Kakashi made his way to the kitchen, directed by the clones that the original was there. The kitchen seemed to be completed; the walls were painted off-white, the cupboards a deep royal blue, the colouring going quite well with the silver fridge and other appliances. To his astonishment, everything seemed to be set up already.

“Your clones are very useful, Uzumaki-san.”

The redhead turned a baleful blue eye on him. “Formal doesn’t suit you; use my first name, Kakashi-nii,” she shot over her shoulder.

Said teen choked on air, shooting a bewildered look at the now grinning redhead as he coughed. “What..?”

Hikari shrugged, still grinning widely, “‘Kakashi-san’ is too formal and you’re not my sensei, so ‘Kakashi-nii’. Better get used to it.”

In an attempt to retaliate, Kakashi shot back, “Of course, Hikari- _chan_.”

But that backfired when the redhead only grinned wider, blue eyes _sparkling_ , “See? You’re learning!”

The silver haired teen slumped over the kitchen counter with a quiet groan, giving up. “Are you always like this?”

Something nudged his arm and he raised his head to see a beaming Hikari pushing a plate of onigiri to him. “Oh, I could be far, _far_ worse, Kakashi-nii~” she sang playfully. “Now eat up; we’re going to get Naruto after lunch.”

Kakashi was once again carrying Hikari, this time making their way to the orphanage. The closer they got, the stiffer the girl became, no doubt remembering her own past. When they finally landed in front of the great iron gates of the building, the redhead in his arms was as still as stone.

He set her down carefully on her feet, murmuring, “Come on; it will be only a few minutes, Hikari.”

Visibly steeling herself, Hikari took a deep breath and let it out; her muscles relaxed and her features were wiped clean of any emotion. “Let’s get it over with.”

And if she slipped her hand into Kakashi’s, neither of them commented.

The matron of the orphanage looked up when a tall teen entered the lobby, identifying him as a shinobi by his hitai-ate. She didn’t notice the redheaded girl with him, hidden behind the male.

“What can I do for you, shinobi-san?”

Kakashi immediately disliked the look of her, her haughty expression raising his hackles. But as he trained as he was, he let none of it show in his expression or voice as he spoke, “I’m here for Uzumaki Naruto.”

Instantly the matron’s expression twisted, hate and repulsion the two predominant emotions on her features. Her brown eyes were dark with malice as she spat, “The demon spawn? He’s not here.”

The ANBU went dangerously still. “What do you mean?”

The woman scoffed, unaware of the danger posed by the teen standing in front of her. “We threw him out. He should be grateful that we took care of him as long as we did! Stupid monster, trying to steal food from the other children!”

Kakashi’s control was edging towards non-existent as he forced himself to speak with some measure of calm, “When was this?”

“Hmm, a day before the Kyuubi Festival. Good riddance, I say!”

The sound of chirping birds filled the air, the teen’s restraint finally snapping. The matron finally noticed the danger, whimpering in fear at the murderous shinobi in front of her. Blue light danced across the walls, the jutsu in Kakashi’s hand sparking menacingly.

Only Hikari’s hand in his other hand prevented him from driving the Chidori straight through the horrid woman’s heart.

Instead, Kakashi directed it towards the desk, the wood splintering under the force with a loud screech. He grabbed the woman by her neck, snarling, "You _will_ be hearing from the Hokage, fool!”

With a disgusted sound, he dropped her into the ruins of her desk and strode away, dragging Hikari along with him. Using a Shunshin, Kakashi appeared on an empty roof nearby, hands already flickering through seals and slammed them against the floor. A pack of eight ninken appeared with a puff of smoke and he ordered, “Find Uzumaki Naruto immediately!”

“The pup’s missing? Like hell,” the little pug, Pakkun, snarled and the ninken ran off in different directions, intent on their mission.

“Damn it!”

“Calm down!”

Hikari’s yell served to bring Kakashi back from the dark place he had dropped into. Small hands slapped against his cheeks and turned his face to meet the girl’s.

“How can _you_ be so calm?!”

“Because if Naruto was dead, I’d have razed Konoha to the ground already.”

The matter-of-fact tone threw the ANBU off-balance and he now looked lost, instead of self-depreciating and furious.

Hikari’s fierce gaze softened and she pulled Kakashi into a hug. “Don’t worry; we’ll find him.” She held him to her until the tension in his body drained away and he gave a short nod.

“Good, now watch for your ninken; I’m going to see if I can track Naruto.” With that, the redhead dropped into the lotus pose, eyes closed as she regulated her breathing.

_“Kurama, can I go into Sage Mode?”_

The great fox roused from his slumber, sitting back on his haunches. **_“No, kit. It would be too taxing on your body now.”_**

_“Then what can I do?”_

**_“Use your emotion-sensing. The most amounts of negative emotions were always centred on you as a child.”_ **

Hikari grimaced at the comment. _“Thanks for that wholly unnecessary reminder.”_

Her sensing ability wasn’t as good as her older self, so she had to strain herself. She also didn’t know how her counterpart’s chakra signature felt, so Sage Mode might have been useless in hindsight. She extended her senses as far as she could.

When she was about to give up, Hikari finally felt a huge cloud of _hateangermalice_ at the very edge of her range, with one pinprick of absolute terror amidst it.

At the very moment she opened her eyes, one of Kakashi’s ninken, Shiba, appeared in front of them. “Boss! We found the pup, he’s in the-”

“Red Light District.”

Both ninken and girl completed at the same time, surprising Kakashi for an instant before he nodded and picked up Hikari under his arm, carrying her like a sack of potatoes in his haste.

“Go on ahead, Shiba. We’ll follow.”

“We have to hurry, Kakashi-nii; he’s in one of the worst places.”

For a second, the teen debated against bringing Hikari along but dismissed the thought. He had no experience with little children and might make things worse. Besides, she had her seals and her insane amounts of Kage Bunshin. He picked up the pace subconsciously, realizing that it had been almost five days since the little blond had been thrown to the wolves.

Hell would freeze over and crumble to dust before he would allow Naruto to be hurt anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Kakashi has been won over!  
> I know, it feels like it was too fast but it's only been three years since the Kyuubi attack and he hasn't still gone that much off the edge.  
> Besides, Hikari's not taking no for answer and is hellbent on dragging him along, motherhenning him on the way.
> 
> He will revert to his cold persona when he finally processes the day during alone time and breaks down, though it won't be for long! Hikari and little Naruto will fix him right back up.
> 
> On a side note, does anyone know when Shisui joined ANBU or if he really was in ANBU? I've gotten a bit confused from all the answers on the internet.
> 
> Posted: 28/04/2020


	3. Rescue, Report, Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Naruto gets a sister then a brother; Kakashi panics; Hikari panics and Kurama wonders when this became his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> Thanks for the answers (about Shisui, I mean)! 
> 
> Just wanted to address a few things from the comments:
> 
> To all those who like my style of story telling and characterization, thank you very much! It made me really happy.
> 
> Neither Hikari's dimension nor the new one will follow canon (obviously) but I might use a few things and twist it to fit my story. That includes how relationships form between different people, the villagers' attitude, abilities, etc. 
> 
> Yes, I do know that canon Naruto's chakra is yellow but I've already hinted that Hikari has blue chakra (both in chapter 1 and in chapter 2, the red + blue thing). Little Naruto will have yellow chakra though.
> 
> I'm still undecided about whether I'll keep Shisui as a normal jounin or make him ANBU.  
> He won't join Root, though.
> 
> I see quite a few people are happy about the Sandaime being scolded. While I don't have a very high opinion of him, this won't turn out bashing him. He's old; he retired and passed on the hat but he had to come back when Minato died prematurely. He lost his wife, his relationship with Asuma is strained at best and he has to deal with the vultures on the Councils and the villagers.  
> It's not an excuse; I honestly think he could have done better but I also understand that Hiruzen is not in the right mindset to remain Hokage.
> 
> Now, on with the story!  
> Happy reading~
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

_Last time:_

_“We have to hurry, Kakashi-nii; he’s in one of the worst places.”_

_For a second, the teen debated against bringing Hikari along but dismissed the thought. He had no experience with little children and might make things worse. Besides, she had her seals and her insane amounts of Kage Bunshin. He picked up the pace subconsciously, realizing that it had been almost five days since the little blond had been thrown to the wolves._

_Hell would freeze over and crumble to dust before he would allow Naruto to be hurt anymore._

Hikari wriggled out of Kakashi’s hold as soon as he landed on the terrace his ninken were on, peering over the ledge into the dark alley below.

“The pup’s in that alley, Boss,” Pakkun reported, seated atop Bull’s head. “He was surrounded by a bunch of drunken adults but we chased them off.”

“Did you check his condition?” Kakashi asked, some of the tension draining from his frame at the assurance that Naruto was safe.

“No, he kept whimpering when we tried to approach him so we thought to leave it to you.”

“Good work; you guys can go now.”

The eight ninken disappeared in puffs of smoke and Kakashi turned his attention to the girl leaning over the edge of the terrace. “Can you see him?”

“No,” Hikari sighed. “He’s probably hiding under something. Let’s get down there.”

Channelling chakra to their feet, the pair hopped off the terrace, using the walls to get down. Hikari wrinkled her nose as the stench hit her nose, covering the lower half of her face with her sleeve.

“Naruto?”

No response.

“Do you think he even knows his name?” she muttered to Kakashi who winced slightly. If the only interaction the child had had was with the orphanage, it was likely he didn’t.

A slight ruffling sound caught the pair’s attention and they turned in unison to look at the source. It seemed to be coming from near the garbage bin. Hikari and Kakashi exchanged glances before the redhead moved to check, Kakashi watching her back.

Slowly looking all over the dumpster, cerulean eyes finally landed on a battered cardboard box pressed close to one of the alley walls.

“Naruto?”

There was a pained whimper, Hikari’s heart breaking at the sound. Kakashi’s visible eye was aghast and he swallowed harshly, letting the redhead take charge. Said girl crouched in front of the box and grabbed the edges, slowly moving it away.

“No hurt me!”

The shrill scream was unexpected, making Hikari and Kakashi cringe at the fear in the sound. Their first look of the child made their hearts drop.

Naruto was absolutely filthy, covered with grime and who knows what. His shirt had more holes than fabric and his pants were tattered but fortunately in one piece. His feet were bare, arms and legs covered with healing bruises. The sunshine blond hair was brown, whether it was simply dirt or dried blood they didn’t know.

“Oh, Naruto...” Hikari whispered, horrified. Her counterpart was trembling, tiny hands covering his head and body curled up into a ball. At her voice, Naruto flinched violently, pleading, “No hurt me please...”

“Okay.”

One blue eye peeked out at the soft reply, seeing the girl and tall person behind her. They weren’t looking at him with the angry looks other people gave him and so he slowly lowered his hands, pressing his back against the wall.

“You no hurt me?”

The girl shook her head, smiling at him. No one ever smiled at him.

“No, Naruto.”

“Na..uto?”

Her smile turned a little sad and she extended a hand towards him. The three year old shrunk back, expecting a blow.

But nothing like that happened.

A warm hand touched his cheek, a thumb stroking gently over his whisker marks -which _no one ever touched_ \- and the girl spoke again. “Your name.”

“I have name?”

The lady at the orphanage said he had no name, unlike the other good children who had pretty names and got warm hugs. He wanted that too but the lady shouted angrily at him and didn’t give him food when he asked.

But the girl in front of him nodded and smiled at him again, “Yes, Naruto.”

“Na..ru..to?” he tried to repeat after her and felt a warmth in his chest when she beamed at him. A breeze fluttered through the alley, making him shiver a little and curl up tight into a ball again. He was cold and hungry. Maybe this nice girl would give him something to eat.

“Kakashi-nii, do you have a blanket or something?”

Hikari frowned when Naruto shivered in the slight breeze; the Kyuubi would normally keep him warm but perhaps lack of food and proper shelter had drained the child too much. The ANBU nodded and unsealed a shock blanket from a scroll in his hip pouch.

“Here.”

Taking the offered dark grey blanket, Hikari gently wrapped it around Naruto’s shoulders. Not too tightly, she didn’t want him to feel trapped. A small hand brushed over the fabric, blue eyes lighting up with wonder at the softness.

 _‘We should get back; it’s getting dark.’_ Hikari had faith in her and Kakashi’s abilities to handle anything that could happen in the Red Light District but she didn’t want Naruto to see any more violence. She straightened and addressed her little counterpart.

“Can I pick you up, Naruto?”

The blond blinked at her, frowning adorably as he tried to make sense of her words. He was actually doing better than her at this age; all she had known at three years old was an impressive list of curse words.

“Pick...? Like hug?”

Now it was Hikari and Kakashi’s turn to blink. The silver haired teen recovered first, chuckling softly at the stunned expression on the redhead’s face, causing her to shoot him a quick glare. She immediately plastered on a smile so that the blond wouldn’t think she was glaring at him.

“Yes, Naruto; like that.”

Naruto’s face lit up like the sun itself and he held out his arms hopefully. His blue eyes were a shade lighter than her own but were no less expressive as he stared at her like she had offered to give him the world.

How could she resist that face?

Uncaring of her clothes, Hikari wrapped her arms around the child and picked him up, holding him close. Naruto hesitantly curled his fingers into her shirt, like she would change her mind and throw him off. When nothing of the sort occurred, he relaxed and buried his head into her shoulder.

The sound of a Kuchiyose caused Hikari to turn around, an eyebrow rising when she saw Bull standing next to Kakashi.

“Bull, take them back to the house and stay with them till I get back,” the teen said. When Hikari looked at him questioningly, he explained, “The two of you need new clothes.”

Hikari considered that and shrugged in acquiescence. “Sure. Something simple is enough for now.”

With that she climbed onto the ninken’s back, patting his head in a gesture of gratitude. Naruto had fallen asleep in her arms, comforted by the warmth of her hold and the blanket cocooning him. Exchanging quick glances, the group split up, Kakashi heading towards the shopping district and the rest back to the house.

* * *

Bull was fast; they had reached the house within fifteen minutes. Hikari slid off, the ninken pushing the door open for her with a paw.

“Thanks, Bull,” the redhead said cheerfully. “Do you want anything? Water?”

The great dog only shook his head and sat down, head resting on his front paws as he stared at the now closed door.

Hikari stared. “Well...okay. I’ll be on the second floor if you need anything.”

She climbed the stairs to the next floor, Naruto waking up on the second flight of steps. He yawned cutely, sleepy blue eyes rising to meet the amused gaze of the girl holding him.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Naru-chan!” Hikari greeted cheerfully, bouncing him on her hip and making him giggle. Children really were resilient; the little blond had already forgotten what had happened before. She had no doubt that it may occur in nightmares and the villagers were still prejudiced towards him, but he wouldn’t have to face it alone.

“What...” Naruto struggled to form the sentence he wanted, glaring at Hikari when she opened her mouth to help. “What....what is you name?!”

The three year old looked so proud that the redhead couldn’t help but laugh as she corrected, “It’s ‘What is _your_ name?’.” When Naruto nodded seriously and repeated the words slowly but clearly, she beamed. “Good job! I’m Hikari!”

“Hi..ka..ri...Hikari-nee? Nee-san?”

Thrown off by the questioning tone and the honorific attached to her name, Hikari stopped mid-step. Kurama was laughing uproariously in her mindscape, not bothered by the glare and threats she tossed at him.

Realizing that Naruto was waiting for her answer, she shook herself mentally and replied, “If you like, Naru-chan.”

“Yay! Nee-san!”

“Yes, yes, nee-san is here,” Hikari said absently as she pushed open the door to the bathroom with her foot. Setting Naruto down on the toilet seat and tying back her sleeves, she turned the faucet and let the bathtub fill up.

Glancing over at the kid, she found him looking around curiously, eyes wide. When he met her gaze, Naruto grinned widely, face lighting up with happiness.

_‘Would I have been like that too, if someone took care of me as a kid?’_

Scowling inwardly at the direction her thoughts were taking, Hikari strode over to Naruto. Removing the blanket from his shoulders, shushing him when he protested, she said, “It’s alright. You need a bath and the blanket will get wet if you get in with it. Now, arms up!”

Naruto seemed content to go along with whatever she said, seeing that the redhead had yet to act cruelly towards him. He raised his arms up, giggling when Hikari bopped him on the nose. She pulled off his poor excuse of a shirt, seething inwardly at the purplish bruises on his torso.

**_“Calm down, kit; he’s already healing.”_ **

_“I know, Kurama. But how could people be so cruel to a child?”_

Hikari sighed; she already knew the answer but that didn’t mean she had to accept it. Casting a critical eye over the injuries, she noted that the skin wasn’t broken so it wouldn’t hurt if water touched the wounds.

Speaking of water....she looked at the bathtub; it was half full and she decided it was enough for Naruto. Turning off the tap, Hikari dropped in some liquid soap and plunged her hands to make lather. Splashing sounds next to her told her that Naruto was copying her actions.

“Bath for me?”

“Yep. Wanna get in yourself?”

“Yeah!”

Laughing at the excited reply, Hikari stood up to look for the shampoo and some towels. It seems her counterpart was treated somewhat decently if he recognized a bathtub. Perhaps there had been some kind souls at the orphanage who had managed to look past the Kyuubi to see the innocent child.

He didn’t seem to have much trouble understanding her either, only struggling to speak but that could be rectified easily. _‘Hopefully, this Konoha is a bit kinder than mine,’_ Hikari thought, smiling at the happy child playing in the water.

Armed with the shampoo bottle, Hikari marched back to the bathtub and knelt near one end. “Naru-chan, tilt your head back, please.”

The blond did so, wide blue eyes blinking up at her. She smiled at the trust and placed her hand over his eyes, murmuring, “Close your eyes; you don’t want shampoo in them.”

“Okay!”

Squeezing a little of the shampoo into her palm, Hikari rubbed her hands together and gently ran them through the child’s hair. She kept her touch soft, looking for any bumps or lacerations; she was certain that some of the brown in his hair had been dried blood. Finding nothing, she assumed that any injury that had been inflicted had already healed.

Meanwhile, Naruto was having the time of his life. The pretty girl hugged him and even let him call her nee-san! Now he was having a bath! The water was warm and nice and nee-san didn’t mind helping him wash.

He hoped she would let him stay with her.

A hand was placed against his forehead and another cupped the back of his neck, slowly lowering his head into the water.

“Don’t move, Naru-chan,” Hikari said. “Time to wash off all the soap.”

Naruto did as told as water was poured over his head, closing his eyes tightly. Giggles erupted from his throat when fingers rubbed behind his ears and he cried out, “Nee-san!”

“Aren’t you a good boy? You washed yourself properly!”

The blond grinned at the praise and when Hikari smiled back at him with such warmth in her eyes, his heart felt like it would burst from joy. He raised his arms for a hug, hoping he wouldn’t be refused.

Hikari’s heart clenched when her counterpart held out his arms, clearly looking for a hug. She couldn’t refuse him, not when she needed the contact too. She held him for a minute then pulled him out of the tub, “Let’s get you dry now, hmm?”

Quickly grabbing one of the fluffy towels, Hikari wrapped it around the child. She took a smaller one and started drying his hair, now back to sunshine blond. His bruises were almost gone too.

That’s when she remembered something.

_“Kurama, you said you could sense your counterpart, right?”_

**_“I did.”_ **

_“Does that mean he can sense you too?”_

**_“...I don’t think so. If he could, you would have already felt it.”_ **

Hikari sweat-dropped at that. _“Yeah, you were pretty angry at this time. You would have made your displeasure clear.”_

The fox snorted. **_“True. The changes you made to my seal might also affect it.”_**

_“Oh yeah; I placed a chakra hiding component in it, didn’t I?”_

**_“Hmm.”_ **

_“Thanks, Kurama. Go back to sleep.”_

**_“Not like I have anything better to do...”_ **

Hikari mentally snickered as she continued drying a surprisingly quiet Naruto’s hair. A knock brought her out of her thoughts and she walked over to the door. Kakashi stood on the other side, holding out a bag.

“How is he?”

She hummed, looking through the clothes he had bought. “He’s fine, almost healed physically. He’ll be alright. Stay here for a moment,” she added, closing the door.

Pulling out a forest green t-shirt and brown shorts, Hikari held them out to a confused Naruto who hesitantly touched before looking at her. “For me?”

Oh.

Hikari smiled at him and if the smile held a tinge of sadness, Naruto didn’t need to know. “Yes, they’re for you. Need help getting dressed?”

The boy shook his head vehemently, already tugging on the t-shirt. Hikari stifled a chuckle, turning to drain the tub and wiped away any remaining soap suds.

“Nee-san!”

Naruto tugged on her shirt, spreading his arms to the side when she glanced at him. “Look!”

Drying her hands on her shirt, Hikari ruffled the boy’s hair. “You did well, Naru-chan. Now come on, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

She opened the bathroom to see Kakashi leaning against the opposite wall. Naruto leaned to the side to see past her, exclaiming, “Ah, tall person!”

Hikari couldn’t help it; she started laughing, clutching her stomach and laughing harder when the silver haired teen shot a betrayed look at her. Wiping away a tear, she tugged Naruto forward and said, “This is Kakashi; say hello, Naru-chan!”

“Ka...ka...,” the blonde tried, pouting when he couldn’t quite pronounce the name. Suddenly, he lit up and pointed at the ANBU, “Kashi-nii!”

Said teen blinked, going blank. Naruto dropped down to sit in front of him, staring up at him intently. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom, Hikari snickered.

“Take care of him for a bit, won’t you, _Kashi-nii_?”

Closing the door, she burst into laughter once again.

Oh, if only she had a camera! She would have so much blackmail material for _years_!

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hikari stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a white full sleeved shirt and black knee-length leggings. Not bad for Kakashi who wore nothing but the ANBU or jounin uniform.

Dropping the towel she was using to dry her hair, she blinked at the sight in front of her.

The boys were engaged in a staring contest, neither of them acknowledging her presence.

“Have you two been doing that all this time?”

Kakashi replied without looking at her, “He won’t stop staring at me.”

Was that a _whine_?

Hikari sighed, flicking her crimson locks to get the last of the water out. “Well, I’m going to cook dinner. Any preferences?”

Naruto perked up at the word ‘dinner’ and broke eye contact with Kakashi, running after her. “Food?”

“Food,” Hikari affirmed, wrapping an arm around the child in a half-hug when he pressed close to her. “Is there anything you want to eat?”

But as she had expected, Naruto only shrugged and mumbled, “Anything.”

“Kakashi-nii?” she asked, looking back at the teen. Kakashi, single grey eye focused on Naruto, only replied, “Whatever you make is fine.”

“Alright, fine. Go have fun or explore, you two. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

Hikari walked away, ignoring Kakashi’s panicked looks and Naruto’s yells.

“Now what should I make?” she muttered to herself, rummaging through the shelves. She had already put rice in the cooker and set the timer. “I doubt either of them will want anything elaborate, so...stir fry and miso soup?”

Nodding to herself, Hikari pulled out the necessary ingredients and the chopping board. She prepared the soup first, setting it to simmer while she started on the stir fry.

Thanks to her Iruka and Kakashi who had kept her kitchen stocked when possible, she had learnt to cook and actually found it enjoyable. She let the familiar motions soothe her as she thought over her day.

One of her goals was already accomplished: Naruto was now under her care and it would remain that way for the foreseeable future.

After that would be to list out all the possible things that could happen in this dimension and gather information. If it was something she needed to influence, she needed to figure out how.

The timer on the rice cooker pinged, startling her out of her thoughts. Hikari focussed back on the stir fry, nodding with satisfaction at the crispiness of the vegetables. She scooped some of the food into three small plates and did the same with the miso soup. Kakashi had better appreciate the eggplant she had added or else....

Quickly setting the table, Hikari called out, “Boys! Dinner’s ready!”

What? She’s actually nineteen; she had every right to call them both boys!

Running footsteps over her head told her it was Naruto, the steps too light to be an adult’s and Kakashi was a shinobi; he was always silent. Hikari glanced in the direction of the staircase just in time to see the blond skid around the turn and slip, flying through the air.

She had no need to move though; Kakashi had followed after him, an arm shooting out to grab the back of Naruto’s shirt. He used the momentum to jump over the remaining flight of stairs, landing on the floor in a crouch.

“Having fun?”

Hikari’s dry voice made the pair turn in unison to look at her, Kakashi straightening without a word while Naruto laughed brightly and waved his arms at her.

“Nee-san! Nii-san cool!”

“Is that so?” the redhead remarked and turned to the dining table. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Kakashi followed her, still holding a flailing Naruto. He dumped the child into the chair next to Hikari, taking the one opposite her for himself. He eyed the eggplant in the soup with some surprise and looked at the redhead who was handing a spoon to the toddler.

“What?” said girl asked when she noticed him watching her. The teen only shook his head, picking up the chopsticks. “Thanks for the food.”

The three ate in silence except for when Naruto tried to wolf down his food and Hikari had to reassure him that his food wouldn’t be taken away and he could have more if he wanted.

Watching the pair in front of him, Kakashi could tell that they were the same person even if Hikari no longer looked the same. They had the same bright eyes; Naruto’s were more innocent while Hikari’s had a dark look sometimes but both shared the same resilient spirit.

If he didn’t know better, Kakashi would have thought that they were actually siblings.

 _‘Guess ‘siblings’ is a fairly accurate term though,’_ he thought, finishing off the last few bites of his dinner. The teen took his dishes to the sink, washing them and the cooking utensils too. When Hikari came in carrying the remaining dishes, Kakashi took them off her hands, washing and drying them too.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, bemused.

Kakashi simply replied, “You made dinner; consider it payback.”

After a moment and making sure Naruto was out of earshot, he asked hesitantly, “How is Naruto? Seriously.”

Hikari eyed him critically then sighed, hopping onto the kitchen counter. “Considering he actually managed to eat everything without trouble, I’d say the orphanage fed him reasonably well. He doesn’t have trouble understanding us, he didn’t run or look confused at the prospect of a bath.”

She paused, looking thoughtful and Kakashi waited silently as he continued drying the dishes, knowing she wasn’t finished.

“I can see the signs of neglect and verbal abuse but since he doesn’t mind touch, I’d say the people at the orphanage didn’t hit him.”

“So it was only the five days on the streets.”

Kakashi’s hand tightened on the plate he was holding, causing Hikari to poke his shoulder. “Stop that,” she reprimanded mildly. “Like I said, he’ll be alright.”

She knew Kakashi was comparing her past and Naruto’s but that was slightly unfair. True, both of them hadn’t had the best experiences, but this Konoha was not _her_ Konoha. It was likely that people just didn’t hold the same amount of hate.

That would be better.

Great, even.

And she didn’t need Kakashi snapping and shoving a Chidori through everyone who so much as cast a dark look at Naruto.

The teen remained tense for a little longer before relaxing, giving a single sharp nod.

Naruto chose that exact moment to come toddling in, one chubby hand rubbing his eyes. The other hand grabbed onto Kakashi’s pants and held on. “Kashi-nii...sleepy...”

“Uh...”

Kakashi looked uncertainly between the toddler and the giggling redhead sitting on the countertop. After he stared at her pitifully for the fourth time, Hikari gestured for him to take Naruto. He did so, gingerly holding the child but Naruto didn’t seem to have any such qualms, curling into the teen’s chest.

“Let’s put him in bed,” Hikari whispered, smiling at the cute scene in front of her. Hopping off the counter, she led the way to the room connected to hers; Naruto could decide which room he wanted in the morning.

Pulling the comforter away, Kakashi placed the now fast asleep child on the bed, Hikari helping to pry Naruto’s fingers from his shirt with an amused smile. She adjusted the comforter over the child, tucking him in firmly.

Once the pair was satisfied that Naruto was comfortable and safe, they closed the door and returned to the living room.

“Tea?” Hikari asked, taking a half step towards the kitchen. Kakashi shook his head, sitting down on the couch with a near inaudible sigh. When he had stopped at the gates to pick up an Uzumaki child, he had not expected to find a dimension traveller and then make contact with his sensei’s son. He was emotionally and mentally exhausted.

And he still had to report to the Hokage.

The couch sank a little and Kakashi turned his head to see Hikari settling on the other end, legs tucked close to her body and face buried in her knees. Like that, he could see that she looked very young, too young to have been involved in a war that ended up with her losing everything.

But age didn’t matter when you were a shinobi and Kakashi didn’t feel pity for her, only sympathy.

“Will you be alright tonight?”

One blue eye peeked out and he could feel the judgement. “Will _you_?” she retorted in a flash. “I’m stronger than I look, Kakashi; don’t worry about me.”

Besides, she had a demon fox in her that wouldn’t let her mope.

Kakashi couldn’t find a suitable response to that and the drop of honorific didn’t go unnoticed. He rose smoothly and made his way to the front door, slipping on his sandals.

“Have a good night, Kakashi-nii.”

Hikari was watching him with a fond smile, features soft and kind. It brought back memories of a time when he was still mostly whole and he had to turn away.

“You’re not going to ask?”

His voice came out slightly rough but the redhead pretended not to notice.

“Huh?”

“What I’m going to tell Hokage-sama.”

“I could care less what you tell him, Kakashi-nii.”

Kakashi twitched imperceptibly; the amusement in her voice was palpable.

“Why? What if he decides that you are a threat?”

“Then I’ll take Naruto and leave.”

The blunt reply stunned him and Kakashi whirled around to regard the girl. Hikari was watching him with a frown, as if trying to understand what he didn’t realize.

“Although I may look seven, I’m still nineteen and fresh out of a world-ending war. If I had chosen to, I could have slipped into Konoha and taken Naruto away with none the wiser. You would never have found us.”

Kakashi stiffened at the words, realizing that he really _had_ underestimated Hikari. Just because she hadn’t shown anything but her proficiency in seals, it didn’t mean she was weak. She had survived being thrown between _dimensions_ , for Sage’s sake!

“Then why didn’t you?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hikari raised an eyebrow; she didn’t remember Kakashi ever being this slow. “Konoha is home to many of my precious people. They may not be _mine_ and may never be mine but I swore to protect them. And I never go back on my word.”

In the face of such overwhelming determination and power, what could Kakashi say?

* * *

Hiruzen was waiting in his office, puffing on his pipe.

The Uzumaki child that had arrived out of the blue with a story that was so outrageous that it could only be the truth.

She had known something that only a mere handful knew.

And wasn’t that information a blow?

He had seen Minato’s eyes looking out of Kushina’s face, so very accusing and pained.

It was what had shattered any kind of defence Hiruzen could have attempted.

_“I do hope this is the only mistake you’ve committed to your Naruto.”_

Those words had stuck with him, haunting him throughout the day as he impatiently waited for Kakashi to report back to him. For all that the two dimensions might be different, some things had probably remained the same.

It was also why he had let Hikari take Naruto without more protests.

Hiruzen had the feeling that if he had stood his ground, the pair might have vanished into thin air. All this time he had thought he was protecting the child but perhaps he had gone about it the wrong way.

_‘I’m too old for this…’_

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a low thud against his window alerted him to the presence of his shinobi and Kakashi leapt in, kneeling in front of his leader.

“Report, Kakashi-kun.”

The teen hesitated for a moment, his grey eye searching for the privacy seal Hikari had placed that morning. Before he had left her, the girl had told him that the seal was still in the Hokage’s office, invisible but able to be activated.

Kakashi placed a palm over the place where he remembered the seal to be and activated it with a burst of white chakra. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at the teen’s actions but said nothing.

“Uzumaki Naruto has been retrieved and placed in Uzumaki Hikari’s care.”

“Good. How is he?”

Kakashi paused, a flash of helpless rage darkening his grey eye, unnoticed by the Hokage. “We found him in the streets of the Red Light District.”

The pipe fell from Hiruzen’s fingers, the old man blanking out in an attempt to conceal his shock. “What?!”

“According to the matron at the orphanage, he was thrown out a day before the Kyuubi festival.”

Faintly, the Sandaime recalled a complaint from a few hours ago about one of his shinobi threatening civilians and damaging property. Obviously, there was no explanation for the outburst given. Now he was wondering if he should have insisted.

“Was Naruto-kun hurt?” he spoke a few minutes later. If Kakashi wasn’t going on a rampage through the village, perhaps it wasn’t too bad.

“He was covered in dirt and bruises when we tracked him down in an alley. According to Uzumaki-san, he most likely faced neglect and verbal abuse from his caretakers but no physical assault. So we surmised that his injuries were from his time on the streets.”

All of this was spoken with no emotion, leading Hiruzen to believe that Kakashi had either made his peace with the situation or was shutting his feelings away. He had no idea which it was.

The old Hokage wondered what would have happened if Hikari hadn’t arrived when she did. Would they have gone on trusting that the orphanage was taking care of the child, when in reality he was suffering on the streets or even dead?

He probably would never know.

Bringing his attention back to the matter at hand, Hiruzen sighed, “It seems I have failed again. How were the boy’s injuries?”

“Thanks to his Uzumaki genes and special circumstances, he’s already healed.”

“That’s good at least. I presume the children are at the house? How is its physical condition?”

“It has been fixed and fully furnished, Hokage-sama.”

A slight widening of the eyes was all the reaction the Sandaime showed in response to that statement. “Already? I would have thought that it would take longer.”

“Uzumaki-san has large chakra reserves, Hokage-sama; she used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to create over twenty clones to assist in the clean-up.”

Twenty?! Hiruzen could barely manage five and that was at full power!

“And she did not seem winded by the use?”

“No, Hokage-sama.”

Kakashi carefully concealed the fact that Hikari had told him that she could create over a thousand clones without breaking a sweat. He had no intention of revealing anything that was personal to her, like her past. Perhaps it could be considered treason to withhold information from his Hokage but since he technically wasn’t sent on an information gathering mission, he didn’t bother to say anything.

“I see.” Hiruzen sat back in his chair, looking thoughtful. If the girl was throwing around a kinjutsu for menial chores then he could safely conclude that she had no concern about draining her chakra. “At ease, Kakashi-kun. I suppose I should set up an ANBU rotation for their security.”

The last statement was spoken with a low voice but Kakashi caught it due to his enhanced hearing. “With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I believe that is unnecessary.” When Hiruzen looked at him questioningly, Kakashi explained, “Uzumaki-san has placed a network of seals that erected a barrier. No one would be getting in unless they were keyed in.”

“So she truly is a Seal Master; I don’t know if even Jiraiya could do that,” the Sandaime mused. Nevertheless, he would create an ANBU rotation to monitor Hikari for a while. Otherwise, the elders would kick up a fuss and Danzo would stick his nose in, or well, the old war hawk would do that anyway.

“Very well. You’re dismissed, Kakashi.”

With a salute, the ANBU deactivated the privacy seal and disappeared with a Shunshin, leaving the Hokage to his thoughts.

Could he trust Uzumaki Hikari, formerly Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto?

His subordinate seemed to think so; Kakashi was content to leave the blond child in the hands of the newcomer. He must have seen something in her to be able to trust the girl enough to entrust her with the son of his beloved sensei.

Hiruzen wondered if he could get Hikari to reveal more of the future, especially of Konoha. The only thing he knew was that he might possibly die at Orochimaru’s hands in nine years if everything went the same as in the alternate dimension.

Her words had definitely implied that there was more to come.

And both Hikari and Kakashi’s use of the Uzumaki’s privacy seal. Hiruzen doubted the girl had told Kakashi anything of importance and it was likely that the teen was simply following her lead in using it. Nevertheless, just the need for it showed that the Hokage office was being spied upon.

The only person that came to mind was Shimura Danzo but he was hesitant to suspect his old friend. For all that they held differing opinions and visions for Konoha, Hiruzen didn’t want to believe that the other would do such a thing.

But…

It wouldn’t hurt to be just a little more careful, right?

* * *

Hikari fell face-first into her bed, bouncing a bit before settling. She had just seen Kakashi off and checked on Naruto before deciding to call it a night.

Now in the privacy of her room she let all her walls drop, succumbing to the tears she had been holding back all day long.

 _‘I thought I accepted it,’_ she thought viciously, angry with herself for crying. _‘I thought I understood what I had lost.’_

Her Jiji, for all the mistakes he had made, was still a precious grandfather figure.

Kakashi, so much younger than she remembered but so much more burdened, who she had grown to love like the brother he would have been if not for that fateful night.

_“They’re not mine, Kurama; they won’t ever be. But why do I still feel the urge to cry?”_

The kitsune shifted slightly, drawing his first and probably one friend into their shared mindscape. **_“Feelings are not rational, kit. Even if they’re not the people you lost, they still remind you of them.”_**

_“I know, but I should be over this! I already promised to move forward!”_

Hikari’s frustrated yell echoed across the space but neither acknowledged it. She grabbed fistfuls of orange fur, burying her face into the fox’s side. She was stronger than this, damn it! Now was not the time to cry like a wuss!

**_“Then when will it be?”_ **

_“Huh?!”_

**_“You’re still grieving. Remember, you just came out of a war a day ago. Get it out of your system, kit. There’s no one here you need to be strong for.”_ **

Startled cerulean eyes meet solemn crimson. It was true; Kurama was privy to all of her thoughts and knew when she felt weak and depressed. Hikari didn’t need to put up a front for him, a centuries old chakra being who had seen and experienced far more than she could ever have.

With that, the dam burst and the redhead full-out sobbed for her lost family and friends. No matter what, she would never see them again. Perhaps not even in the Pure Land.

For what seemed like eternity, only the sound of her heart-breaking sobs was heard.

Hikari rubbed her eyes, cheeks aflame.

She had broken down twice in less than forty-eight hours!

How embarrassing!

 _“Eh…ah…sorry, Kurama,”_ she said sheepishly, looking up at the fox. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen but the light in them was brighter than before.

Kurama only huffed, tails swishing lazily behind him. **_“Tch. Don’t make it a habit, brat.”_**

The redhead hummed, turning to lie on her back, eagle-spread. Her mind was pleasantly blank, without the buzzing that had been haunting her all day. A weight lifted off her shoulders and she was sure that if she bumped into others she knew –it would definitely happen- she wouldn’t end up a depressed mess again.

**_“You’re wrong, you know.”_ **

_“Huh? About what?”_

**_“That they’re not yours. The Hatake brat is already enthralled by you.”_ **

_“Kakashi-nii likes Naruto, not me!”_

Kurama was an inch away from hitting his dense container. Or maybe a concussion would actually help?

**_“You’re stupid. Your mini-me isn’t the one who convinced him to take a room in your house.”_ **

_“But…but…”_

This time the Kyuubi did hit his Jinchuuriki, hard enough to send her flying smack into the opposite wall. Hikari sat up with a groan, rubbing her aching head. _“Kurama! Why the hell did you do that?!”_

**_“To see if I can smack the stupid out of you…_ **

_“I’m not stupid!”_

**_“You are,”_** Kurama deadpanned, causing the girl to rage and scream. **_“If they’re not yours, just make them yours. Somehow, you manage to charm even your enemies…just do that.”_**

_“Huh? I do what?”_

**_“...never mind. Get out of here; your mini-me is looking for you.”_ **

_“He’s not my mini-me! We’re not even the same gender!”_

With that last ear-splitting shriek, Hikari returned to the real world and raised her head from where she had buried it into her mattress. Sensing someone staring at her, she turned bleary eyes to look at the door connecting her and Naruto’s rooms, which she had left open.

Naruto was standing in the doorway, blue eyes wide and teary. His hair was messy and clothes were rumpled, like he had been tossing and turning in his sleep.

Hikari straightened, swinging her legs off the bed to rest on the floor. Opening her arms in a welcoming gesture, she smiled when the toddler ran to her and wrapped his short arms around her calves.

“Bad dream, Naru-chan?”

The little blond nodded, mumbling almost incoherently, “Bad man came…hurt me…nee-san and nii-san gone…”

Hikari sighed, patting the child’s back comfortingly. From what she could understand, he had had a nightmare about somebody hurting him while he had been on the streets. When he had woken up, confused and disoriented and alone, Naruto must have panicked, probably thinking that she and Kakashi were the dream and he was still back in the dark alley.

Slipping her hands under Naruto’s arms, Hikari picked him up and placed him on the bed next to her. “Wanna stay here, Naru-chan?”

Blue eyes looked up at her hopefully, “Really?”

“Yes,” she nodded, gesturing for him to get comfortable. He did so immediately, crawling under the covers and peeking out at her.

_‘How cute!’_

The redhead inwardly squealed at the adorable sight and ruffled the sunshine locks, getting off the bed for a minute to open the curtains.

Moonlight streamed in, lighting up the room. It was dark enough to not be a bother but the soft illumination ensured that they didn’t feel like they were surrounded by darkness.

Hikari got under the sheets herself, Naruto cuddling up to her instantly. In return, she threw her arms around the small body, pulling him close to her and spooning her body around him protectively.

“Goodnight, Naru-chan.”

The little boy made a happy sound, the warmth engulfing him soothing him and he fell asleep almost straight away.

_‘Is this what it feels like to love someone so unconditionally?’_

_“Naruto won’t turn out like me, will he?”_

**_“No,”_** Kurama agreed, knowing what his host was thinking.

_“What if things happen just like in our world?”_

**_“He still won’t be the same. He will have a sister._ ** **You _are the biggest change to happen to him, Hikari.”_**

Kurama’s use of her new name hit home, causing the redhead to finally realize the change she had wrought. Just by existing, she had changed something.

In her world, there was only Uzumaki Naruto.

No Uzumaki Hikari.

Now…

 _She_ was Uzumaki Hikari.

Not Uzumaki Naruto. Not in this world.

(That position was already occupied by the blond sleeping ever so peacefully in her arms.)

Even the smallest ripple had the potential to cause great impact.

The Butterfly Effect.

Hikari was the butterfly. Her very presence had already altered the time stream of this dimension.

Her last thought as she drifted into dreamland was to ensure that it was for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to [needcakenow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/needcakenow/pseuds/needcakenow) for their comment explaining the ages of the characters!
> 
> Current ages, from oldest to youngest:  
> Kakashi - 17  
> Shisui - 11  
> Itachi - 8  
> Hikari - 7 (actually 19)  
> Naruto - 3 
> 
> If anyone is wondering where Shisui is, _maybe_ he'll make his first appearance in the next chapter?  
>  _winks_
> 
> Posted: 03/05/2020


	4. Hunt!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little breakdown, the Sandaime makes a resolution and the start of a hunt. Anyone who makes little Naru-chan cry is dead!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well....I said that Shisui might turn up in this chapter but guess not....  
> I'm sorry!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Hikari sighed as her gaze wandered over her clones, all of them practising one technique or the other. While her chakra control was way better than before, it seemed as if her skills themselves had dropped down to zero.

_‘I have all the E-Rank jutsu down, with the exception of the Bunshin,’_ she mused from her perch atop a high branch. _‘Hoped I’d be able to do it after my improved chakra control but guess not.’_

It was just after sunrise and she’d been out in the forest outside Konoha for over an hour. Seals glittered on the trunks of trees in a two hundred metre radius, intended to keep her chakra in.

The Uzumaki didn’t want any sensor detecting her.

Wincing as memories of being underground slammed into her brain, Hikari absently noted, “That’s all the Doton D-Rank jutsu completed.” The other elements, Katon, Suiton and Raiton had come fairly easily, having completed the D-Rank jutsu for those about fifteen minutes into her training.

“Fuuton however...” the redhead turned to look at the clones practising Fuuton techniques with a pleased glint in her eyes. As always, Fuuton was the easiest for her, being her primary element before Hikari was gifted Hagoromo’s chakra. For all that wind was hard to control and wild, it came to her easily.

The clones started popping one by one and Hikari leant her back against the tree, processing the information. “So that’s E- and D-Rank jutsu down. Already progressed to B-Rank for Fuuton but still halfway through my list for C-Rank for the other elements...which actually isn’t much.”

Hikari groaned; despite having fought in a catastrophic _war_ , her elemental jutsu repertoire was embarrassingly small. All she knew were a few she had picked up from her friends and those were either S-Rank or A-Rank, meaning flashy and/or extremely destructive. Her go-to techniques were the Rasengan and the multiple versions of it, which she couldn’t use without a believable excuse. Other than that, she had Kurama’s chakra which again, was unusable in her current body just like senjutsu.

_‘Hiraishin is out too,’_ she grumbled in her mind, sprawling across the tree branch. _‘Even if I’m good at Fuuinjutsu, that technique is a very advanced one and only Dad had the complete seal formula. I’d have no excuse to give if someone saw me using it.’_

**_“Just go raid the library, kit; it’s not like anyone can stop you.”_ **

_“Probably...I’ll think about it.”_

The fox subsided after that very short exchange, leaving his host to her thoughts. Hikari had no delusions; she was clearly not at her peak. Sitting up abruptly, she slipped a hand into her weapons pouch. Three shuriken were pulled out and thrown at a distant tree in quick succession. All of them hit the trunk, embedded deep in the bark.

Well, her aim was still perfect.

Hikari wasn’t sure where she stood with her taijutsu but she suspected it wasn’t up to par. Her body was by no means weak and she could augment her strength using chakra like Tsunade did, but she still had to build up her muscles. The redhead grimaced; she wasn’t looking forward to strength training at all.

Though considering she was a chakra tank, focusing on ninjutsu for the time being would be satisfactory. Taijutsu training could wait until her body was a little stronger.

**_“Didn’t you say something about iryo ninjutsu and genjutsu?”_ **

_“I thought you were taking a nap, Kurama,”_ Hikari said dryly as she slipped into her mindscape. The Bijuu slowly peeled one eye open to stare at her, crimson gaze bland and bored.

**_“You were thinking too loud,”_** he grumbled, stretching lazily and completely disregarding his container. Although this was better when compared to being hunted by Kaguya and Zetsu, it was still boring. The sewer, though not as dank and dreary as Hikari’s childhood self, had nothing for entertainment but to stare into the distant darkness.

Hikari pouted at the comment; she couldn’t help it!

But she chose to not retort, instead saying, _“Yeah, I guess I could give iryo ninjutsu a try. I don’t have the patience for genjutsu though, so I’ll just learn enough to identify and dispel them.”_ After Mugen Tsukuyomi, she had nothing but absolute abhorrence for the art. Others using genjutsu was fine but she herself had no interest in learning it.

Iryo ninjutsu, however, interested her. Before, Hikari didn’t have the control for even the most basic technique and Kurama’s corrosive chakra would just make any wound she tried to heal worse. Now however, she had enough control to separate their chakra. All she had to do now was to see if she had any aptitude for healing.

**_“Why do you even bother?”_** Kurama asked, genuinely curious. **_“With your Yin-Yang Release you could heal anything.”_**

Hikari shook her head, explaining, _“I know, but I don’t want to attract too much attention. That ability was from the Rikudo Sennin and even if people won’t recognize it, I can’t take the risk.”_ She now had a soft but sad smile on her face as she continued, _“I don’t need healing but if there’s someone injured without a medic nearby, I want to be able to help them.”_

Kurama didn’t say anything this time, knowing that his container was too much of a bleeding heart to allow anyone to be hurt, not when she could help it. And Hikari, although in the dark about her partner’s thoughts, didn’t expect a reply.

Deciding she had spent enough time training, Hikari leapt to her feet and deactivated the seals around her with a flick of her wrist, the seals vanishing with a quiet crackle of chakra. It was only just past five in the morning and she knew she could squeeze in a couple more hours of sleep before Naruto woke up.

With a flip, the redhead jumped off the branch, staying to ground level until the walls of Konoha came into view. Hikari stopped behind a tree and took a second to place two seals on herself: a chakra hiding seal and a perception seal. After checking that she was well-hidden, the girl darted towards Konoha, not missing a beat when she reached the wall and just ran up over it.

Five minutes later, Hikari landed on the grass silently in front of her house. It was quiet and still, the clone she had left behind waving at her from the window and dispelling soon after. She hummed, assimilating the memories. Fortunately, Naruto hadn’t woken up from a nightmare, something that had happened for the past three days.

Three days of Hikari assuring the toddler that she was neither leaving nor kicking him out.

It didn’t always work, the little blond clinging to her whenever he got overwhelmed by his insecurities or at least keeping her in his line of sight. Twice Hikari had woken up in the middle of the night to the feeling of a small trembling pressing into her side.

_‘Looks like Naruto didn’t have a nightmare tonight,’_ she thought with a relieved sigh. She honestly didn’t mind him crawling into her bed; she too woke up from nightmares far too often to get a night of uninterrupted sleep. But she had been beginning to worry if his psychological damage was much deeper than she had initially assumed.

Making her way to the second floor, Hikari nudged open the door to Naruto’s room quietly and poked her head in. Tufts of sunshine blond hair were the only visible parts of the three year old, curled tightly underneath his blankets. She smiled, not approaching him but basking in the feel of his peaceful chakra.

Even as a child, Naruto’s chakra shone like a beacon.

_‘Pretty sure I was like that too,’_ mused Hikari as she closed the door and slipped into her room. _‘I still have no idea how nobody ever managed to catch me whenever I played a prank.’_ She didn’t worry about making noise as she changed into nightclothes; the connecting door to Naruto’s room was closed, something she had done in advance when she had decided to leave the house that morning.

Hikari slipped under the covers, intending on getting a few hours of sleep before Naruto inevitably barged into her room, loud and hyper as always.

* * *

Sunlight hit his face, causing Naruto to squeeze his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them. The next thing he noticed was birdsong, the boy beaming as he sat up. It was a new day!

He quickly scrambled out of bed, being just careful enough that he didn’t get tangled in the sheets. His sister had told him that they could get him a smaller bed but Naruto had vehemently protested. He wanted a big bed; he was already three years old, not a baby.

Hikari had given him an amused smile when he had managed to verbalize that, not the child understood why but Naruto was content as long as he had his big bed.

Naruto looked around at his room, awed at the fact that it was _his_. At the orphanage, he had had a very small room with a ratty mat and a single blanket. But now this pretty room was his and he could do whatever he wanted with it. He could even paint it his favourite colour!

Orange was _awesome_ , believe it!

His big sister had laughed when he had said that and proceeded to paint his room a pale orange. Her own room was violet and white; Naruto liked it but it wasn’t as great as _orange_.

Shaking himself, the blond ran to the door and reached up to twist the knob. Once outside his room, he peeked out into the hallway. It was oddly quiet; Hikari was usually up before him and making breakfast or doing something in the house.

_‘Nee-san’s sleeping?’_ Naruto wondered as he made his way to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth carefully and washed his face before running back to his room to get dressed.

He rummaged in his drawer, looking for something orange. He actually didn’t have many clothes but nee-san had promised to get him some more. Naruto eyed a white T-shirt with an orange spiral on the back, pulling it on and a pair of dark green shorts.

Now what to do?

Naruto didn’t feel very hungry yet and Hikari was still sleeping, so maybe he should do something for a while. He had been told not to go outside without telling his sister first and he didn’t want to disobey.

Suddenly something occurred to him and the toddler brightened. Nee-san had given him a book and while he didn’t know how to read, he liked the pictures. Maybe he could look at it again. Nodding firmly to himself, Naruto left his room.

“I thought I heard little feet running about.”

The blond twisted around at the voice, almost tripping over his feet.

“Nee-san!”

Hikari was leaning against the doorway of her room, watching him with a grin. Her hair was sleep mussed and she looked like she had just gotten out of bed. Cerulean blue eyes were bright though, gleaming with laughter.

“Good morning, Naru-chan; did you brush your teeth?”

“I did!” Naruto nodded furiously, bouncing over to her and holding his arms out for a hug. The redhead laughed, bending to his level and holding him close for a brief moment. Hikari straightened, pushing the child gently towards the stairs.

“Go on,” she said gently. “I’ll be down in a little while.”

Needing no more encouragement, Naruto dashed down the stairs to the first floor. The house was very large for the two of them and he had been exploring it for the past three days. A lot of the rooms on the first floor were empty, except for the kitchen.

He didn’t go to the kitchen though; everything was out of reach in there and nothing was kept out anyway. Instead Naruto headed into the living room, spotting his picture book on the little table and diving for it. He settled on the couch, content to admire the colourful images and try to memorize each of them.

“What do you want for breakfast, Naru-chan?”

Hikari jumped over the last few steps, her crimson hair fluttering behind her catching Naruto’s attention. _‘Pretty,’_ Naruto thought, dropping the book and climbing over the couch to throw himself at the girl, who caught him with a startled laugh.

To Naruto, Hikari was definitely an angel. The lady at the orphanage said that angels were pretty and wore white but he disagreed. Hikari had been wearing black when he first saw her but she smiled at him and was always nice to him. She gave him hugs whenever he wanted and made him tasty food.

And he could stay with this nice person.

The last thought made Naruto feel warm and giddy; he wrapped his arms around Hikari’s neck and buried his face in her shoulder with a happy sigh.

He definitely loved his nee-san.

* * *

Hikari opened the fridge, taking in the contents. She had seated Naruto on the counter and he sat there, swinging his legs with a happy hum. As much as she loved the child, she couldn’t really get any work done if he was permanently wrapped around like an octopus.

_‘I should probably show him the Kage Bunshin soon,’_ she thought absently. _‘I’ll need to go out and I can’t always take Naru-chan with me.’_

Looking over her shoulder at the blond, Hikari asked, “You didn’t answer before, Naru-chan; what do you want for breakfast?”

“Uh...eggs?” Naruto answered hesitantly. He actually didn’t know what kinds of food existed; at the orphanage, he was only ever fed watery soup or bread. The toddler had seen other children have toast and eggs and other things he didn’t know, so he wasn’t sure what to ask.

Hikari turned to face him fully, head cocked to the side in thought. “I’ve never made you anything other than soup and vegetables, huh....” Mentally listing all the ingredients she had left, she winced. _‘Guess I need to go shopping again. I should also ask Jiji about money.’_

“Right!”

Clapping her hands together, the redhead spoke brightly, “Omelettes for today then!”

“Om..omu...” the little blond tried to repeat as Hikari pulled out a carton of eggs from the fridge. “Om..let...?”

“Yep! They’re made from eggs and you can eat it plain or with spices or other stuff too!” She continued rummaging in the fridge. “We don’t have much stuff left so I’ll make cheese omelettes.”

Naruto perked up, “Cheese?”

Hikari nodded, grinning as she set out the ingredients on the counter and took out the pan. “Why don’t you go sit at the table? It shouldn’t take too long to make.”

“Okay. Cheese!”

With a delighted cheer, the child got down from the counter and climbed onto the chair with a little struggle, proceeding to stare at his sister with an eager expression.

Soon a plate of fluffy cheese omelettes and a glass of milk were placed in front of Naruto, whose mouth watered at the delicious smell. He, however, waited till Hikari settled down with her food before tackling his breakfast.

“So good!”

The female Uzumaki grinned from ear-to-ear at the sight. This was the first time Naruto was so animated since she had gotten him and she was happy to see that he was healing. “I’m glad you like it,” she said in reply before taking a bite of her own omelette.

But when there was no more sound, Hikari looked up to see Naruto staring at his plate with a blank expression. Something was wrong.

“Naru-chan?”

“Nii-san like omelette too?”

Hikari frowned. _‘Pretty sure he means Kakashi-nii.’_ She replied, “I think so, yes.”

“I give Nii-san omelette...he come back?”

_‘What-?’_

The sniff that echoed in the room a second later had Hikari scrambling off her chair in alarm. She rounded the table and knelt in front of Naruto, hands resting on his shaking shoulders. In a gentle voice that betrayed none of her panic, she asked, “What’s wrong, Naru-chan?”

Naruto’s bottom lip quivered as he met the concerned gaze of the redhead with teary blue eyes. “Kashi-nii not come back...he not like me?”

Hikari stiffened in shock, eyes wide. _‘Has Naruto actually been worrying about this all this time?’_ Acting quickly, she pulled the now full-out crying child into her lap and rocked him gently.

“No, Naru-chan, Kakashi-nii is just busy. I know he loves you very much.”

Naruto sniffled and Hikari cradled the child’s face, wiping the tears with a finger. Raising his head to make him meet her eyes, she kept her voice soft and comforting, “Don’t cry; it’s alright.”

“Kashi-nii no hate me?”

Attempting to keep a straight face as Hikari cursed Kakashi to hell and back again, she patted the blond’s head. _‘When I get my hands on that stupid emotionally stunted Hatake, he’s **so**_ _dead!’_

“Of course not, Naru-chan!”

“Really...?”

“Yes, really.” Hikari pressed a kiss to Naruto’s forehead, effectively stopping his tears. “I love you, Naru-chan. So does Kakashi-nii.”

Naruto only buried himself deeper into her hold, seeking the comforting warmth. Unseen by him, Hikari glared into the distance, blue eyes dark and murderous.

She may love Kakashi dearly and she _might_ have an inkling of why he was keeping his distance despite that first day, but that didn’t make the situation right.

A certain masked shinobi was definitely going to get a not so friendly visit from a vengeful redhead before the sun sets that day.

* * *

Hikari was hopping from roof to roof, heading towards the Hokage Tower. It had taken half an hour for her to get Naruto to calm down and eat his breakfast. Another half an hour was spent in explaining the Kage Bunshin to him so that she could leave the house.

Fortunately, the jutsu had fascinated the child enough to distract him. Hikari had slapped a seal on the clone so that it wouldn’t dispel with a single hit. It was one of her best creations, allowing her clones to be much more useful in battle.

In this case, it was more than enough to watch over Naruto, play with him and protect him should anything happen, not that she expected it. After a final check on the defensive network of seals around the house, Hikari had left, Naruto waving her goodbye happily.

Standing on the roof of a building in front of the Hokage Tower, Hikari wondered how she should go in. Her former self would have just jumped in through the window and she had never needed permission as a child. Now, however, she had a feeling that the secretary wouldn’t let her in; a random brat with no appointment would certainly not be allowed in easily.

Window it is!

Hikari stretched out her senses a bit, checking for any presences in the Hokage office. The Sandaime was there, along with some ANBU, presumably his guards. Much to her surprise, she didn’t sense anyone from Root; they were easy to pick out in a crowd, in her opinion. Their chakra was way too still and the seal on their tongues was distinctive if you knew what you were looking for.

Speaking of Root...

_“Kurama? Do you sense any Root shinobi around us? I would have expected Danzo to set one or two on me by now.”_

The Kyuubi no Kitsune opened his eyes, yawning lazily. **_“No. That old bastard either has no idea about you or doesn’t consider you of any interest.”_**

Hikari scoffed with derision at the words. _“Doubt that,”_ she replied blandly. _“Even if I was harmless, he would want a female Uzumaki. And I haven’t been keeping that low a profile for him to be unaware.”_

**_“Keh. Go talk to your Jiji; he might have answers.”_ **

With a mental nod, Hikari channelled chakra to the soles of her feet and jumped. With a flare of chakra to announce her presence, she perched on the window and swung her legs inside.

“Hey Jiji!”

The old Hokage was already facing her, having been warned by the flare. A welcoming smile was on his face as he greeted, “Good morning, Uzumaki-san.”

Hikari made a face. “Just use my name, Jiji!”

Hizuzen paused for a moment, getting up to activate Hikari’s privacy seal before he said, “I wasn’t sure it would be welcome.”

“Huh?”

“You were quite upset with me the last time I saw you.”

The redhead blinked owlishly, processing that statement. It took a while before things clicked and she blurted out, “Are you stupid, Jiji?! If I was really angry with you, you wouldn’t have even seen me!”

“I know you made it clear that I wasn’t in your good books and I’ve failed Naruto. Kakashi-kun told me what happened.” The Sarutobi bowed his head, regret emanating from him in waves. It was obvious he was beating himself up for not checking up on his successor’s child properly.

Hikari rolled her eyes, jumping off the window and stepping into the Hokage’s line of sight. “So? You were stupid. Just apologize and make amends,” she stated, making him look at her. “Not to me,” she added when Hiruzen opened his mouth to speak. “I’m not the one you’ve hurt.”

Sighing, the Sandaime returned to his seat. “Regardless, I wish to offer my apologies to you as well, Hikari-chan.”

The pair held each other’s eyes for a long moment, Hikari finally cracking a lopsided smile. “Accepted, Jiji.” She understood what the old man was not saying; Kakashi’s report must have made him think.

The atmosphere in the room was warmer after that quick exchange and both occupants relaxed. “How may I help you today, Hikari-chan?”

Blinking at the swift change in subject, the girl replied with a question of her own, “Before that, Jiji; did you say something to Danzo? There’s no Root stalking me.”

“Of course not, dear girl,” he replied, a mischievous glint in his aged eyes. “Why would he do anything about something he has no idea about?”

An equally mischievous look entered cerulean eyes, Hikari practically cackling, “ _Sneaky_ , Jiji! Sneaky!”

Hiruzen chuckled at the response, “From what I noted, except for a few shinobi, no one saw Kakashi-kun bring you in. I just neglected to mention it to the Council.” In his opinion, his old teammates had no business in the Uzumaki’s matters.

“Huh. I was out with Kakashi-nii in the village for a while and that stunt at the orphanage will get the bastard’s attention soon, no matter what we do. It’s not like he’ll be able to get to Naru-chan or me, anyway.”

“Nevertheless, I’ll hold them off. You need not concern yourself with them.” Hikari was already shaking her head, “That won’t work. The old hag and the other one aren’t a problem, true, but Danzo is a menace and a half. I don’t have all the information I need yet, but I’ll tell you when I’m sure.”

“Of course.”

“In any case, I came today to talk about my financial status. I don’t have much money, Jiji, and the orphan fund won’t be sufficient. Naruto will want to go to the Academy when he’s old enough and I need equipment too. Not to mention food, clothes and other stuff.”

The Hokage nodded, understanding her predicament. “From your expression, I see you have an idea.”

“Yep!” the redhead grinned, reminding Hiruzen of Kushina at that moment. “My seals are a good way to earn money but most people won’t take me seriously since I look like a kid now.”

“Ah, so you want me to act as a proxy?” The Sarutobi rubbed his beard thoughtfully. It was actually a sound idea and with Jiraiya out of the village, Konoha lacked a Seal Master. “Who taught you Fuuinjutsu, Hikari-chan? Jiraiya?”

Hikari looked surprised at the sudden question but replied promptly with a shake of her head, “Dad, actually.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Stop frowning, Jiji. It’s the truth. In the war against Kaguya, a lot of people were reanimated using the Edo Tensei to be used against the Allied Shinobi. Dad was one of them but he somehow managed to break free long enough to pass me the counter seal.” Hikari smiled faintly, a touch of wistfulness and sorrow in the curve of her lips, “After that, I took an interest in Fuuinjutsu and asked him to teach me whenever possible. It came in quite handy.”

Her expression darkened at the memory of the war; despite having the counter seal to transfer control of the Edo Tensei from Zetsu, it didn’t mean all of their friends were free. Minato had been the only one fast enough to avoid further attempts to be controlled, thanks to his Hiraishin. In the end, it had been better to seal away people than free them.

“Anyway,” Hikari cleared her throat, banishing the dark thoughts from her mind. “I’m pretty good at them. Any seal you name, I can make it.”

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at the confident claim; he wasn’t really about to refute her, having analyzed the privacy seal for a long time but was unable to make much sense of it. “Truly? That will be quite useful. I suppose improved storage scrolls and explosion tags would be good for a start.”

“I have a variety of those,” the redhead shrugged, to the Hokage’s disbelief. “I’ll give you a list and a sample of each seal sometime this week.”

“The Uzumaki spirit shines brightly with you, I see,” Hiruzen complimented, making Hikari beam with genuine pride. “Alright, we’ll do as you say. Actually...”

He opened a drawer, rummaging in it before pulling out a stack of Ryo. “Consider this your first payment: your privacy seal is quite excellent. My ANBU are complaining,” Hiruzen chuckled. The redhead stared blankly for a moment then nodded, taking the money.

“I guess but this is too much...oh yeah, let me do that!” With that exclamation, Hikari slipped around the desk to stand next to the Sandaime. “Pick two spots, Jiji! Somewhere you can access easily but subtly.”

It spoke of Hiruzen’s trust in her that he immediately pointed to the underside of his desk, near where his hands would usually rest. Hikari nodded, placing a hand on the wood and burning a seal using her chakra. She circled around the Hokage, placing another seal on the other side.

“That one,” she started to explain, pointing to the seal on Hiruzen’s right, “is another privacy seal for easy access. The other one is a barrier seal: activate it and no one will be able to get inside this room. All you need is a single pulse of chakra into the seals to use them.”

“Thank you, Hikari-chan. Is the barrier seal your creation as well?”

“Somewhat. Shika and I made this version together.”

“A Nara?”

“Yeah, Shikamaru. He’s Shikaku’s son. We learnt Fuuinjutsu together.”

Noting the melancholy in the cerulean eyes, the Sandaime didn’t push for more information. But the mention of the Nara did remind him of something. “Speaking of Shikaku, my Jounin Commander will definitely corner you when he finds out about you, especially since you’ve taken Naruto.”

Hikari waved away his concerns, looking nonchalant. “Let him try. I know how to deal with him. I have no doubt that he’ll figure out who I am, but I’m actually counting on that.” If Shikaku realized the truth by himself, it would be easier for the Nara Clan Head to believe the entire story. “By the way, Jiji; have you banned any of Dad and Mom’s friends from approaching Naruto?”

The Sarutobi’s features took on an expression of shock and a tiny bit of guilt. “I was planning to do that when Naruto was older; if Iwa finds out, they’ll try to kill him.”

“Well, don’t. I’ll handle that. Naruto needs friends who wouldn’t judge him for being the Jinchuuriki.” Her voice held a tint of reproach and disapproval, making the old Hokage wince slightly. Looks like he would have made another mistake and he bit back the question on the tip of his tongue.

_‘Did you grow up completely alone?’_

Hiruzen nodded in reply to Hikari’s words, unable to answer verbally.

“Is there anything else you need, Hikari-chan?”

“Kakashi-nii is still in the village, right?”

“Yes, he is. I’ve restricted him to village patrols for a few days.”

“Good.”

Hikari made her way to the window, hoisting herself up onto the edge. She paused, making Hiruzen stare at her inquisitively. She shot a quick smile at him, significantly warmer as she said, “Come over to dinner this weekend, Jiji; you can meet Naruto then!”

With that, the redhead jumped out the window, crimson hair streaking through the air like flames.

Hiruzen chuckled at the girl’s antics, feeling a weight being lifted from his shoulders at the hidden token of forgiveness. If she had chosen to forgive him, both his counterpart and himself, for their mistakes towards Minato’s legacy, then he should make himself worthy of that forgiveness.

He turned back to his paperwork, already anticipating the coming weekend.

“I wonder if Naruto would like a stuffed animal...?”

* * *

A young boy, dressed in dark blue with a red and white uchiwa pattern stitched on the back of his shirt, walked through the crowded marketplace of Konoha. He kept to himself, not out of any desire to be alone but so as to not force his presence on the civilians who were edging away from him slightly.

“He’s one of the Uchiha...”

“Did you hear that the Uchiha were involved in _that_ incident?”

“Really?! No way!”

“I’m not sure but I heard some people talking about it.”

“Are you serious? The Uchiha are the Police Force! They’re protecting us!”

“Yeah...but the rumours...”

“That boy is pretty young...maybe he’s just a normal kid.”

“Hah! All those Uchiha are traitors!”

The last comment made the pre-teen wince inwardly but he managed to keep his expression unchanged. Although there were some who spoke up for the Uchiha, a lot of the rumours were highly negative.

Navigating through the sea of people, the young Uchiha kept his expression open and neutral. Unlike the majority of his clan, he was naturally prone to cheer and it wasn’t very hard to smile or look happy.

_‘The rumours are getting worse,’_ Shisui thought with a heavy heart. Despite being only ten, almost eleven in a few days, he was already a Jounin of Konoha unlike what the villagers assumed. He just didn’t have his hitai-ate on at the moment to mark him as a shinobi.

One particular rumour filled his heart with turmoil. Apparently, there were some people who were pushing for the Uchiha to be isolated within their Compound. Most of the Uchiha did live there, yes, but they weren’t restricted to the place.

_‘If that really happens, then the situation will become bad,’_ Shisui frowned internally. _‘Discontent is already spreading through the clan.’_

Thoughts of his clan inevitably led him to his best friend and cousin, Itachi. Itachi was the first-born son of Uchiha Fugaku and he was the Clan Heir. He was only eight and a Genin, but he was highly accomplished and admired amongst his peers.

Most of the Uchiha called the young Heir a prodigy and looked at him as the hope of the clan. Shisui himself would admit that Itachi held great potential but above all, he saw through the impassive countenance of his friend, saw the child in him.

Shisui and Itachi had seen the worst of the Third Shinobi War and both had come out desiring peace. Due to his position, Itachi had overwhelming pressure on his shoulders but he bore it gracefully. The curly haired teen understood; Shisui had awakened his Mangekyou Sharingan at the age of seven and he too suffered under the weight of the clan’s expectations.

Lost in thought as he was, Shisui didn’t notice the person tumbling out of an alley to his right until it was too late.

“Ahh!”

“Ow!”

Two low grunts of pain were heard as the two slammed together, stumbling backwards and off-balance. His reflexes kicked in at the last moment and Shisui steadied himself, a hand shooting out to catch the other’s wrist.

A small body was jerked in his direction and the Uchiha raised his other arm to help steady the other person. It was a girl, looking to be younger than him - _‘Around Itachi’s age maybe?’_ \- with long red hair tied up in two pig tails, shining ruby red in the sun.

She pushed away from him, straightening her violet kimono style shirt before looking up at him. Black met blue and Shisui stared, the vivid shade of her eyes catching his attention as much as her hair had.

“Ah, I’m sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you alright?”

_‘She’s pretty cute,’_ Shisui smiled as the girl looked at him worriedly, concern etched on her face. But before he could reply, the villagers started whispering around him.

“See? He hurt that poor girl!”

“And now watch, he won’t apologize either.”

“This is why the Uchiha should be locked up!”

Shisui’s smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, the words cutting deep. He was loyal to both his clan and to Konoha; he wanted to find a way so that the two could co-exist. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt when he heard things like that.

The redhead’s eyes narrowed, letting the Uchiha know that his shift in emotion had been noticed, despite half his face being hidden by the high collar of his shirt. And the way her lips twisted into a scowl made his heart sink.

Shisui knew that the girl was a newcomer to Konoha; he would have noticed hair like that before. He had been hoping that he could befriend this girl. Even though he had only known her for a few mere _seconds_ , Shisui liked the way her chakra felt, warm and welcoming and protective.

Now he was going to lose a potential friend to the villagers’ rumour-mongering.

What the cute redhead did next though shocked him; her expression cleared in an instant and she smiled openly at him, sketching a quick bow.

“Thank you for catching me! I might have been hurt otherwise!”

Her loud exclamation caught the attention of the people around the pair of children, causing quite a few faces to turn in their direction. Those who were blaming the Uchiha and saying that he had hurt the girl had to backpedal rapidly at the gratitude on the redhead’s smiling face.

There was no way such an adorable face with a bright smile like that was pretending.

Shisui, however, knew that the girl wasn’t quite faking but exaggerating a little. _‘She stood up for me,’_ he thought, bewildered. _‘She subtly redirected the villagers’ attention in a way that they wouldn’t suspect anything. With just a couple of sentences too!’_

But that wasn’t the main thing.

_‘ **Why**_ _did she do that?’_

He didn’t voice that though, a little flustered by the way the younger girl focussed on him. Shisui waved his hands in front of him, saying, “Ah, no; it’s not a problem. I should have been more careful too.”

She practically beamed at him, this time completely genuine.

By this time, the villagers had turned away, laughing fondly at the antics of the two children. None of them had noticed the way the girl had cleverly manipulated them, making them forget their unkind words toward the Uchiha. Shisui even heard a couple of women complimenting him.

A hand waving in front of his face brought him out of his daze and the Uchiha looked into azure eyes; he swore that they held a sparkle of mischief. The redhead winked at him and twirled away, heading into the market.

Shisui’s eyes followed her, watching as the girl spun around to walk backwards for a bit, waving an arm wildly as she called out, “See you again sometime, Uchiha-san!”

The redhead disappeared into the crowd and Shisui stood frozen in his spot for a few moments out of shock. He shook his head and turned back in the direction of the Uchiha compound. This time, though, he was a bit more relaxed, the atmosphere being much calmer and friendly.

_‘Thank you, cute stranger.’_

* * *

An eight year old Itachi eyed his best friend wearily; the older boy had entered the training ground chipper and with a spring in his step. He was even _whistling_ cheerily, something he never did in the Uchiha grounds.

“Shisui?”

The curly haired looked up in the direction of the voice, spotting Itachi perched on one of the higher branches of a tall tree. “Hey, Itachi! What are you doing up there?”

Itachi jumped down, landing in a crouch before straightening. “I was waiting for you. You’re late.”

“Sorry. I ran into someone.” When Itachi’s reaction to that was to stare at him with a deadpan, Shisui protested, “Hey! I’m not lying! I met a new girl in the market!”

“New girl?”

Shisui nodded, “Yeah, someone with red hair like her would stand out.”

“Red hair? Is she an Uzumaki?” Itachi questioned, his curiosity piqued. Shisui shrugged, “I don’t know; she ran off before I could say anything.”

Itachi was still confused; it wasn’t like Shisui to take an interest in anyone so easily and he voiced his thoughts. To his well-hidden surprise, the older boy laughed sheepishly, “I think it’s because of her chakra; it was bright and beautiful. But above all, it felt downright _protective_.”

Actually....

Now that he thought about it, the redhead’s chakra felt that way only _after_ the villagers started badmouthing him.

What the hell?

Had the girl felt protective over _him_?

“Shisui?”

His best friend’s call of his name dragged him out of his deep thoughts, “Huh?”

“You spaced out.”

“Oh...sorry.”

Itachi had a mildly annoyed glint in his dark eyes, “As I was saying, her chakra felt protective?”

Shisui nodded in agreement, “You know the rumours about us amongst the villagers? There was a lot of whispering around me so I wasn’t paying attention and bumped into that girl. It was a simple thing really but the villagers started saying it was my fault and things like that.”

“So they were basically slandering you,” Itachi stated in a flat voice, a protective fury starting to bubble up inside him but he ruthlessly crushed it. No good would come out of acting on his emotions and he knew the reputation the Uchiha had. His loyalty was to the village too, but Shisui was the only one who truly understood him.

A hand landed on his head and roughly ruffled his hair, making the eight year old glare at the other. Shisui only grinned, saying, “Aww, is little Itachi-chan upset for me? You look adorable all puffed up like that.”

Itachi slapped his hand away with a small frown. “Continue.”

“Ah, fine,” Shisui conceded, getting serious again. “Apparently the girl heard what the villagers said and started scowling. I thought it was directed at me until she suddenly smiled.” Shisui recounted what had happened after that, much to Itachi’s surprise.

“A complete stranger stood up for you,” the Clan Heir murmured, mind whirling. Although there were a few people who were honestly friendly with the Uchiha and held no malice towards them, none of them had ever supported them openly. It was greatly disheartening for them and only served to make the clan withdraw further.

But this new child -child because, according to Shisui, she looked to be the same age as Itachi- who had come out of nowhere, had judged the situation she had been thrown into unknowingly in the Uchiha’s favour and had supported Shisui easily. She had practically played with the villagers’ perceptions with ease and turned them on their heads.

“I don’t think she was messing with me either,” Shisui said helplessly, still bewildered over the strange girl’s actions. “I didn’t sense a single lie in her words. I know; it sounds stupid and brainless to be so hung up over _one_ person’s actions but everything she did....it implied that she _knew_ about us.”

Itachi stiffened. “Are you certain?”

Shisui nodded. “There wasn’t a trace of uncertainty in her posture. She knew _exactly_ what she was doing.”

The pair descended into silence, both of them pondering over the new development. While one situation wouldn’t help change the Uchiha’s reputation, they still had to wonder who the mysterious redhead was.

Was she a spy?

To try to get into the Uchiha’s good graces then betray them?

Or was she an ally?

“Let’s just stop,” Shisui sighed heavily after a long time, breaking the silence. “There’s no point in beating our heads against this mystery. I’m sorry I even brought it up.”

Itachi shook his head, not blaming his best friend in the least. “This girl has caught your attention. Why?”

The solemn atmosphere disappeared, Shisui laughing sheepishly. “Ah, I don’t know myself but I felt drawn to her. And I think...I wanted a friend.”

Itachi couldn’t say he understood. He himself held almost everyone at arm’s length, not forming any attachments so that he could analyze everything from an objective point of view. But Shisui was different from him; the older boy was just as analytical as him but he treasured his bonds and yearned for more.

If Shisui wanted a friend, he wouldn’t stop him. Besides, Itachi was also curious about the girl. “I want to meet her,” he decided.

“Eh? Why?” Shisui squinted at his cousin, suspicious. Itachi _never_ took to strangers.

Taking a leaf out of the older boy’s book, Itachi shrugged and replied, “I’m curious.”

“Huh...”

“How do you plan to talk to her?”

“I don’t know....follow her around and find an opportunity?”

Dark eyes closed in exasperation.

“Shisui?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Hey!”

* * *

Near Training Ground 3, where a large kunai shaped stone slab stood, a shrill voice cut through the silence.

“I FINALLY FOUND YOU, STUPID SCARECROW!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I lied!  
> Shisui has made his appearance!  
> What do you think? Is he too OOC? I have limited knowledge of his character so it's hard to write him.  
> And don't even get me started on Itachi; he's hell to write especially as a child. I don't understand him at all!
> 
> Looks like a certain scarecrow is up for a severe scolding....  
> And I've decided to kind of redeem the Sandaime a little. Hikari will yell at him for a lot of stuff but the end result is that he'll finally learn to toe the right line for once.
> 
> Who do you guys want Hikari to capture, ahem, befriend next?  
> Leave an answer in the comments!
> 
> Posted: 09/05/2020


	5. "Stop being stupid!!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi gets punched, Danzo shows his face and dinner is had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented on the previous chapter!  
> All of them made me very happy and considering I had a stressful work week, they lifted my mood and gave me a respite from the world for a bit.  
> I see people love the Shisui/Hikari first meeting. Don't worry, they'll meet each other properly soon!  
> (And little Itachi will tag along for the ride. I don't understand his thought process very much but he is adorable as a child!!)
> 
> So the suggestions for who Hikari should meet next are:  
> 1) Inoichi  
> 2) Anko  
> 3) Guy  
> 4) Shikaku (Shikamaru accompanying him)  
> 5) Iruka
> 
> Inoichi, Shikaku (this includes tiny Shikamaru) are very probable, as is Guy. Anko is less probable but I do have an idea for her. To those who are expecting Iruka, I'm sorry to say that my current ideas don't involve him until Naruto joins the Academy.  
> You'll probably get InoShikaCho first, I think.
> 
> To those wondering about whether Hikari will learn Genjutsu or have chakra chains, I have no comment.  
> That would be spoilers~  
> She will learn a lot more jutsu, though.  
> (Seriously, Naruto has so much potential to learn even tons of S-rank jutsu but his elemental jutsu are ridiculously lacking.)  
> Hikari cannot be shown as related to Minato, so she can't use the Rasengan or its multiple versions and she has no intention of staying at her current level, no matter that she can level Konoha easily. Relying on Kurama's chakra is also a sort of cheat and I want her to be strong without it.
> 
> Now, onto the story!  
> Enjoy~
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Kakashi sat in front of the Memorial Stone, his eye tracing the names of his lost loved ones. It was his daily ritual, at least when he was in the village.

“Sorry I didn’t come for the last few days,” he started, resting his head in his hands. “A lot has happened lately. A girl showed up, Sensei, and she said that she is Kushina-san’s and your daughter from another dimension. Sandaime-sama and I believe her.”

A light breeze picked up, scattering leaves throughout the clearing.

“She looks a lot like Kushina-san and acts like her too. But sometimes she reminds me of you and that’s somewhat scary. Her name is Naruto too but she goes by Hikari now. Sounds kind of fitting, don’t you think, Sensei, Kushina-san?”

Hikari really was like light, the way she had rescued little Naruto and had somehow awakened the hope Kakashi had hidden deep inside of him. It honestly scared him; he wasn’t sure if he could take another loss.

“I think Obito would have loved her and she would have made a great friend to Rin. Hikari has been through a lot but she still says that she wants to protect our world. If you and Kushina-san were here now, Sensei, I’m pretty sure you would have claimed her and adopted her in a matter of minutes.”

Now Kakashi sighed, letting his arms drop to his sides as he looked straight at the Memorial Stone. He didn’t know what to do and there was no one who he could go to for answers.

Silence reigned in the clearing, only broken by the wind whistling and the rustling of leaves. After some time, Kakashi stood up; he had nothing to do that day so he was going to hide in his apartment.

“I’ll see you guys later, Sensei, Kushina-san, Obito, Rin.”

He had only taken a few steps towards the village when the silence in the clearing was shattered by an ear-splitting shriek.

“I FINALLY FOUND YOU, STUPID SCARECROW!!!”

Kakashi bit back a yelp as kunai whizzed by, having ducked just in time to prevent himself from skewered. He could have sworn that his ears were bleeding from the volume of Hikari’s high-pitched scream.

Another hail of kunai descended upon him and Kakashi cursed as he used a Shunshin to get away, the range of the incoming attack too large to dodge.

_‘How does she even have so many kunai?!’_

He immediately felt stupid; he _knew_ that the redhead had lots of chakra and the kunai were probably Kage Bunshin ones. But Kakashi regretted entertaining inconsequential thoughts when the ground exploded under his feet and he was thrown up into the air, debris nicking his limbs.

“Wha-?”

Stunned as he was, he didn’t notice Hikari above him until it was too late. A chakra enhanced foot kicked him right in the stomach and he was forced back to the ground, the impact strong enough to leave a crater.

Kakashi laid there, dazed and in significant pain.

He, an experienced ANBU, had been beaten by a _seven year old girl_.

Granted he was caught completely off-guard and didn’t expect Hikari to be so utterly vicious but still. He was going to be so embarrassed later.

A cherubic face entered his line of sight, except it wasn’t all that angelic at that moment. Blue eyes were stormy and Hikari’s expression was dark with anger and barely-restrained violence. Her mouth was curled in a snarl and Kakashi fought the urge to cower.

“Wh-?”

“You are a stupid piece of work, Hatake,” the girl _growled_ , holding up a clenched fist. The teenager flinched at the accusing stare she directed at him, not sure what he had done to earn it.

“What did I do?”

“More like what you didn’t do,” Hikari snapped with a disgusted scoff. She lowered her fist to cross both arms over her chest, allowing Kakashi to sit up.

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t come back.”

The words were spat out, like they were poison to Hikari. The ANBU was taken aback by the amount of anger in the girl’s voice, as if the brutal beatdown didn’t show that.

He wracked his suddenly sluggish brain in an attempt to figure about what she was talking about. When he finally got it, sorely testing Hikari’s almost non-existent patience in the meantime, Kakashi slumped, all his energy draining out of him in one breath.

Even his gravity defying hair seemed to droop.

“I’m not good for him,” Kakashi mumbled miserably. After the euphoria of finally meeting Naruto properly had faded, he had fallen into panic almost instantly. There was no way he would allow himself to taint the innocence of the child.

“Explain.”

Following Hikari’s forceful demand, he spoke with a dull voice, “Everything around me crumbles eventually...I couldn’t help Dad, Obito died because of me, _I_ killed Rin and I wasn’t able to protect Minato-sensei and Kushina-san....”

Everyone Kakashi had cared for had eventually slipped between his fingers and he was the one left behind, overflowing with pain and regret. Too many ‘ifs’ crowded his mind even on the best of days.

If he hadn’t blamed his father.

If he hadn’t belittled and hated Obito.

If he hadn’t killed Rin.

If he hadn’t been too weak to save Minato and Kushina.

If he hadn’t ignored Naruto for so long.

He pointedly ignored the fact that he had desired a connection with Hikari and Naruto just a few days ago.

Unaware of the darkening mood of the girl standing before him, Kakashi continued, “Soon Naruto would end up hurt or dead because of me. It’s best if I stay as far away as possible....he shouldn’t have to be tainted by my presence. _Friend-killer Kakashi_.”

A fist to the top of his head had Kakashi tumbling face first into the ground and he raised a hand to rub his aching head.

“You’re exactly the same...”

“Huh?”

Kakashi turned to lie on his back, single grey eye focused on the redhead standing next to him. Hikari’s head was bowed, a hand covering her eyes. She was muttering something under her breath, unintelligible even to Kakashi’s enhanced hearing.

Sighing, Hikari finally dropped her hand to fall limply at her side. Her gaze met his and she abruptly said, “Did you know my Kakashi-sensei died?”

The ANBU nodded in confusion; she had implied as much during their first meeting.

“Do you want to know how?”

Not sure where Hikari was going with this line of conversation, Kakashi nodded again. Morbid as it sounded, he was very curious as to the circumstances of his counterpart’s death.

“As you know, he was my Genin team instructor; Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura and I, we made up Team 7.” Hikari smiled knowingly with a touch of sadness when the grey eye widened; Kakashi too had been part of Team 7 with Obito and Rin under Minato.

“Out of the original Team 7, you were the first to die.”

“Original?” Out of that loaded statement, that word was the one to catch Kakashi’s attention first.

Hikari waved her hand dismissively, “Long story; I’ll tell you some time. I told you we were fighting against Kaguya. At the start, there were many of us and we held out hope that we would win. Somehow.”

Blue eyes grew pained and distant, memories of the war rising to the front of her mind. Tremulous smiles, fading day by day as their numbers dropped like flies, cut down ruthlessly. Blood coating her hands, the blood of her friends whom she had failed to protect and had to bury with her own two hands.

“Sakura was our last medic and Zetsu was aiming for her. If we lost her, we were mostly done for. She wasn’t weak, not Sakura. But we had been fighting non-stop for days and running low on chakra. All of us had been separated,” Hikari whispered bitterly, tears beading at the corners of her eyes.

“One lucky shot got her and Sakura went down. It would have been the end for her,” the girl furiously brushed away the few tears that escaped, voice breaking as she continued her story. “Kakashi-sensei saw that and made a split-second decision; he used the last of his chakra to Shunshin to her and shield her with his own body.”

Her beloved Kakashi-sensei, whose chakra she had felt flicker out and die, while she was too far away to get to him. Sakura might not have been able to heal him but with her Yin-Yang Release, Hikari was _sure_ she could have.

If only she had gotten there in time!

But she had failed; all of them had failed. Hikari held no true memories of what had happened after that; Sasuke was the one who had told her that she, Minato and Obito had gone insane and slaughtered every last White Zetsu clone in the area while he had made his way to Sakura and Kakashi-sensei.

Hikari remembered, however, finally setting eyes on the fallen form of her masked teacher, cradled in a distraught Sakura’s arms. Blood had coated both student and teacher; there was too much red. She herself had collapsed on the spot, a hole ripped in her heart in the place her big brother had claimed for himself.

 ** _“Come back, kit,”_** Kurama’s deep voice rumbled in her mind and Hikari returned to the real world with a wet gasp, forcibly pulled from the deep trench of her memories she had fallen into. Hands were holding onto her shoulders, the touch tentative but effectively grounding her.

“Hikari!” Kakashi -no, not her sensei, he was _gonegonegone_ \- was staring at her, his visible eye blown wide with concern. He asked quietly, as if he might trigger her again, “Are you okay? You were starting to hyperventilate.”

She managed a shaky nod, whispering a soft _‘thank you’_ to Kurama for pulling her out and in response, the fox sent a surge of warm chakra through her, comforting her silently.

A few minutes passed as Hikari pulled herself together and she raised her hands to wipe away the remaining tears on her cheeks. “Sorry. I wasn’t quite expecting to break down like that.”

Kakashi had retreated a bit, feeling a little awkward. “No...it’s fine.”

“Anyway, back to what we were talking about,” Hikari said, making the ANBU look at her in mild disbelief. She had just gone through an emotional breakdown and still wanted to continue their conversation?

Hikari merely raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve made my peace with my past, Kakashi-nii. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to look you in the eye or view you as a different person.”

The raw honestly in those words shook Kakashi to the core and he sat down heavily next to the girl. “How are you so strong...?”

He himself had broken so many times that he wasn’t sure how he was still functioning.

“You’re not broken, Kakashi-nii. Well, maybe somewhat broken but you can still heal. _Anyway_ ,” Hikari stressed the word, looking at him with narrowed eyes, “I was trying to make a point. My Kakashi said a lot of the same things as you did. In the end, he sacrificed his life for his student. And the ultimate proof that all that you just said is complete nonsense is _me_.”

Hikari spread her arms wide, gesturing to herself. “I’m still alive even though Kakashi-sensei is gone. Albeit with different looks and in a different dimension,” she added thoughtfully. “Just wait, Naruto will grow up to be the same; he won’t stand for your stupidity. And you, Kakashi-nii,” she poked him in the arm with a finger, “I will absolutely not allow you to slip away from us.”

“I’m sure Naruto doesn’t even remember me.”

Hikari rolled her eyes, exasperated with the idiot next to her. “The whole reason for me beating you up is for Naruto. He cried because you were too stupid and didn’t come back!”

“Isn’t that more reason for me to stay away?” Kakashi returned to being miserable. Honestly, Hikari was beginning to believe that ‘dark and miserable’ was his default setting. “I’ll just hurt him again.”

Getting fed up again with the Hatake, the redhead raised her arm and smacked him on the head. “Naruto thinks that you hate him! That you didn’t come back because of him!”

“H-He _what_?” Kakashi managed to croak, going deathly pale.

“I’m not joking. Now, you are going to come back, make things up to him and then stay the night. Preferably move in permanently too but that’s too much to expect right now.”

“You actually mean that.” The teenager stared, dumbfounded by the way the girl kept turning his thoughts and beliefs on their heads. He had made Naruto _cry_ , made him believe that Kakashi _hated_ him, which could never ever be possible and she still wanted him to live with them.

“But-”

“ **Hatake**.”

Kakashi’s head snapped up and his spine straightened at the insane amount of malice coating Hikari’s voice. He swallowed, barely able to withstand the sheer terror that flooded him.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“ **Go**. **Apologize**. **To**. **Naruto**. **Now**.”

“Right away, ma’am!”

Kakashi’s last thought as he performed a Shunshin was, _‘And I thought Kushina-san was terrifying...’_

Hikari sighed as Kakashi vanished in a miniature tornado of leaves and got up, adjusting her ruffled hair and clothes. In silence, she made her way to the Memorial Stone and knelt in front of it.

She reached out, fingers brushing over two engraved names.

_Namikaze Minato._

_Uzumaki Kushina._

A few rows above, she noted two other names.

_Uchiha Obito._

_Nohara Rin._

And another name that would never be on the Memorial Stone.

_Hatake Sakumo._

From what Kakashi had inadvertently let slip, Rin had died by his hand. While Hikari wasn’t quite able to forgive Rin for using Kakashi in her suicide, she could respect the sacrifice she had made for Konoha. It wasn’t truly her fault; Madara and Zetsu’s machinations were much too thorough.

But what she didn’t know was Obito’s circumstances.

Was he the same as in her world?

Was he being used by Zetsu?

Hikari assumed so; Rin’s death matched perfectly with the situation. She would have to ask Kakashi about his teammates sometime.

For now...

“Hey, Mom, Dad. Or well, Kushina-san and Minato-san, I guess.” She smiled sadly. “You two aren’t _my_ parents, after all.” Her fingers gently caressed her parents’ names, overwhelming love in each sliver of movement. “I’m sad that Naruto couldn’t have you guys in his life too. But...I’m here now. No matter what, I’ll be there for Naruto. He won’t ever be alone.”

Hikari paused, thoughts going to the White Fang.

“Sakumo-san, your son is an idiot,” she said drily, but far too amused and fond for it to be offensive. “He’s my idiot though, so don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.”

Now she frowned, mild displeasure on her features. “Rin, I don’t hate you. But I can’t forgive you for hurting Kakashi-nii, even if you didn’t truly mean it. So you’ll have to settle for that. Besides, if Obito is still out there, I’ll save him for both you and Kakashi-nii.”

Hikari straightened, one hand moving up to her face to hold her bangs away from her eyes as the wind started blowing. She looked up at the sky, smiling gently with great resolve in her eyes.

“So wherever you guys are, rest assured. I’ll protect everyone, no matter what. And I never go back on my word.”

* * *

Kakashi hesitated in front of the door of Hikari’s house, unable to work up the courage to go in. He had rushed there immediately following the redhead’s threat. But now that he was actually there, he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Fortunately for him, the door swung open after a few seconds of his arrival. Hikari’s angry face greeted him, making him shiver in suppressed fear.

“I see Boss beat you up,” the newly revealed clone muttered darkly, stepping to the side to allow Kakashi entrance. “You know where the bathroom is; clean up before you go to see Naruto.”

Kakashi nodded in acceptance; he knew that he was dusty and a bit bruised. If he went in like that, the little blond might get scared. He made his way to the second floor and entered the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror.

He winced at the number of thin cuts littering his arms and his ANBU issue armour was battered. If he asked for a re-issue, the shinobi on duty would definitely think he was lying if he told them he was beaten up by a little girl.

There was a knock and the door opened a little, a bundle of clothes held out. The muffled voice of Hikari’s Kage Bunshin said, “Here, change into these.”

Kakashi took them, wondering, “How did Hikari know my size?”

The clone snorted, “That’s a generic Jounin uniform set. Boss bought them for you in case of an emergency.”

“Huh.”

He quickly stripped off his armour, cleaning his injuries and treating them with the first-aid kit he found in the cupboard under the sink. After changing into the new clothes, Kakashi hesitantly placed his old outfit into the laundry basket, making a mental note to take them with him when he left.

 _‘I’m stalling,’_ the teen admitted to himself. He didn’t know how to approach Naruto, let alone apologize to him. _‘I don’t think I can take it if Naruto hates me.’_

“Kakashi-nii, if you don’t get out of there now, I’ll throw you off the Hokage Mountain!”

The sharp yell from the other side of the bathroom door made Kakashi flinch and he was out before he knew it, remnants of fear forcing him to move.

Hikari’s clone smirked at him, a devious sparkle in blue eyes as the clone grabbed his wrist without warning and dragged him to Naruto’s room.

“Naru-chan, you have a visitor~!”

With that, Kakashi was pushed into the toddler’s room, whispered words reaching his ear before the door slammed shut behind him.

“Better fix this, Hatake, or **else**.”

“Kashi-nii?”

The disbelieving slant to Naruto’s voice made Kakashi look towards the source; his sensei’s child was sitting on the bed, blue eyes wide with shock.

Not knowing what to say, Kakashi tried an eye-smile, “Hello, Naru-chan.”

Naruto’s eyes were wide with disbelief and shock and so very, very blue. Kakashi winced at the reminder of his sensei in the colour. _‘Sorry, sensei; I messed up again.’_

“Kashi-nii back?” Naruto questioned softly. His voice was soft, brimming with a contradictory mix of hope and fear. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining things or not.

“Yeah...sorry I’m late.”

The child scrambled to get off the bed, getting tangled in the sheets in the process. He would have crashed face-first onto the ground if it were not for Kakashi diving to catch him before he could. Naruto grabbed fistfuls of the teen’s shirt, hoisting himself up to look at the other.

“Nii-san came back? You don’t hate me?”

Kakashi held back a cringe; Hikari hadn’t been kidding when she had spoken about Naruto’s feelings. He didn’t think he could ever bring himself to hate the tiny ball of sunshine, who had been the only reason Kakashi had held on to his sanity as long as had.

“No, Naru-chan,” he said, tentatively wrapping his arms around the young boy and bringing him close. It was the first time he had initiated contact to comfort someone in a long time and he wasn’t sure he was doing it right.

But Naruto curled up against the teen’s chest with a happy sigh, raising his arms to wrap around Kakashi’s neck. “Stay,” he demanded, the word slightly muffled because of the cloth. “Don’t go away.”

 _‘Hikari has been working on his vocabulary,’_ Kakashi thought absently as he petted the child’s hair, kind of like how he would do to his dogs. Although it did speak of Naruto’s own brilliance that he was able to learn a lot in a short time. “I can’t promise that, Naru-chan.”

“Bu-!”

“I have things to do and I don’t live here,” Kakashi hurriedly cut off Naruto, feeling his resolve weakening at the pout the boy gave him. “I’ll visit though.”

Eyes the colour of the morning sky stared at him, as if trying to determine if Kakashi was lying. Satisfied by whatever he saw, Naruto nodded firmly, his serious expression looking odd but cute on his small face. He leant back into the hug, “Visit lots!”

The pair sat there for a while, Kakashi slowly getting used to the presence of another person so close to him. The fact that it was a harmless child helped a lot though.

Eventually Naruto stirred, crawling out of the teenager’s lap. He looked at the colouring book he had abandoned when Kakashi came into his room but he didn’t feel like going back to it. Instead, he focussed on his nii-san, asking, “Play with me?”

Kakashi panicked, his mask fortunately hiding his expression from the kid.

He didn’t know what to do with a child!

Naruto’s pleading gaze only served to make his composure crumble even further.

Oh, wait; maybe...

When Hikari returned to the house an hour later, she was greeted with laughter and barking. She smiled to herself, _‘Looks like Kakashi-nii summoned his ninken to play with Naruto.’_ Her clone dispelled as soon as she set foot inside and she made another one almost instantly.

She handed off the scrolls containing groceries, new clothes for Naruto and herself, other essentials and some books which she had just bought to the clone and made her way to the backyard.

Kakashi was leaning against the wall, his single grey eye trained on the child gleefully tackling Akino. Hikari went to stand next to him, waving when Naruto yelled a loud greeting to her. The three-year-old didn’t go to her though and the redhead didn’t call for him, letting him play.

“I knew you would summon your pack for him,” she said, a trace of amusement in her voice. Kakashi shifted his stare to the girl, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. “How?”

Hikari shrugged, nostalgia evident in her expression as she explained, “Kakashi-sensei didn’t know what to do with a bunch of Genin; I doubt you would be able to handle a child.”

“You’re not angry?”

She looked genuinely surprised at that, finally turning to look at him, “Why would I be?”

“I didn’t do much myself.” Kakashi looked mildly uncomfortable at the admission but didn’t take it back. A punch to his arm jolted him out of his morose thoughts to see Hikari glaring at him with exasperation.

“Naruto’s happy, meaning you did your job right. I said I’m not expecting much from you; just do what you can, _willingly_.”

Neither of them spoke after that, content to watch over Naruto as he tumbled around with the ninken. The atmosphere was comfortable and rather nice to bask in.

When it started to get dark, Hikari ushered Naruto back inside and to the bathroom to clean up; he was covered in mud from rolling around in the ground with Kakashi’s pack. She bullied Kakashi into helping him while she made dinner, cackling madly in her mind whenever the ANBU shot pleading looks in her direction.

Dinner was had rather quickly and Naruto was tucked into bed when his eyes started drooping. He made a valiant attempt to stay awake though.

“S-Stay...” he managed to say through his yawns, sleepy eyes on Kakashi. Naruto knew that his nee-san will be there when he wakes up but he wanted his nii-san to be there too. He wanted to ask nee-san to make omelettes again and this time, nii-san should have them too.

Kakashi internally floundered; those puppy-dog eyes were too lethal!

Thankfully for him, Hikari came to his rescue. “Kakashi-nii has lots of important things to do, Naru-chan; let him be, okay?”

She shushed him softly when the blond tried to protest, stroking a hand through his hair. Much to her relief, Naruto fell asleep soon after, avoiding any tantrums, not that she suspected any serious ones.

“Stay the night and have breakfast with us,” Hikari spoke as soon as the door shut softly behind them, blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight. It wasn’t an order; Kakashi saw it for the request it was but he wasn’t sure how to respond.

On one hand, he wanted to stay; the urge to watch over both versions of his sensei’s child was overwhelming. But on the other, he was certain he would only bring bad luck and misfortune to the pair.

Hikari didn’t say anything else, offering him a quick smile and a ‘good night’ before slipping into her room, leaving Kakashi standing alone in the hallway.

“You should stay, Boss.”

Pakkun’s words reminded Kakashi that the little pug was still around and he turned to look at him. The ninken looked back solemnly, huffing after a moment and trotting to the door to Kakashi’s room. He pushed it open and went inside, jumping up onto the bed.

“Comfortable?” Kakashi asked drily, watching Pakkun settle on the blankets, near the end of the bed. “Quite,” the pug replied, lowering his head to rest on his paws. “That girl has good sense in picking out furniture.”

Kakashi felt torn; even his ninken seemed to favour staying with the kids.

“Don’t be stupid, Boss,” Pakkun spoke abruptly, correcting predicting his summoner’s thoughts. “One night isn’t going to be hard.”

“Why are you supporting this?”

“Because you smell happy and content.”

The ANBU froze in shock, staring at the pug who calmly returned the gaze. “It’s been years since your scent had anything but loneliness and pain. If the kids make you happy, just stay with them. Protect them.”

And what could Kakashi say to that?

He finally moved, toeing off his sandals and slipped under the covers silently. The sheets smelled faintly of flowers and sunshine, something that he was starting to associate with safety. Kakashi drew in a deep breath and relaxed, making his choice for the moment.

He closed his eyes, letting the gentle pulse of Naruto’s chakra and the enveloping feeling of Hikari’s chakra lull him to sleep.

It was the best night he had had in literal years.

And if in the morning he was greeted by Naruto’s surprised but delighted grin, wide and brilliant, and a warm expression from Hikari....well, his decision had been worth it.

* * *

Hiruzen sighed as he paused in doing his paperwork, sensing a chakra signature that he particularly didn’t want to encounter that day. But his prayers were to not be answered and the door was slammed open the next minute.

“Hiruzen! What is the meaning of this?!”

Shimura Danzo stormed into the room, two of his Root shinobi flanking him. His expression was wiped clean but the Sandaime could clearly see the lines of anger and frustration in his old teammate’s features.

“Is this how you greet your Hokage, Danzo?”

Before meeting Hikari, Hiruzen would have let the other man’s outburst slide and then caved to whatever request Danzo had made. _‘But not anymore,’_ he thought viciously, feeling a flicker of triumph when Danzo looked like he had sucked on a lemon.

The founder of Root stopped a few feet away from the Hokage’s desk, shocked by Hiruzen’s stern tone. He hadn’t expected to be rebuked quite so sharply, but he hid the feeling rather well. Choosing to play by the other’s rules for once, he bowed slightly, “I apologize, Hokage-sama, but it is a matter of utmost importance.”

“Oh? And what would such a matter be, to make you treat the Hokage’s office with such disrespect?”

Danzo’s only eye narrowed in annoyance and he ground his teeth, forcing the words out. “It is about the Uzumaki girl.”

Ah.

 _‘Hikari-chan was right, again,’_ Hiruzen thought with an internal sigh of resignation. This conversation was going to be interesting. She had correctly predicted that Danzo would be on her case soon and there he was.

“What about her?” he asked coolly, regarding Danzo with an impassive gaze.

“Why did you allow her into the village so easily? She could be a spy!”

“She is a _child_ , Danzo,” the Hokage refuted with a sharp edge to his voice. He refused to be cowed and let the warmonger get his way. “My ANBU brought her directly to me and I verified her story personally. I do not believe I need to consult everyone about one refugee.”

The old war hawk wasn’t one to give up easily and he ignored the warning in Hiruzen’s voice, pressing, “Nevertheless, it is foolish of you to give entrance to her immediately!”

“Watch your tone, old friend,” Hiruzen barked, flaring his chakra authoritatively. Hikari’s business was no one’s but her own and he would pave the way for her as his atonement. “You forget; Uzushio was Konoha’s sister village and even when destroyed, the old treaty stands. Any and every Uzumaki will be welcome here.”

Danzo swallowed; this conversation was not going the way he had predicted. He had come in with every intention to berate Hiruzen for his soft-hearted way of handling the Uzumaki child and then place her under his custody. A female Uzumaki would have been useful in his plans, especially one as young as her.

But Hiruzen had not reacted how he had wanted and now _he_ was on the wrong end of a verbal beatdown. He would not be defeated yet though. “You have even handed over our Jinchuuriki to her,” Danzo spoke stiffly.

It was his final trump card; Danzo knew very well who the blond demon container was and knew why Hiruzen was so very adamant in insisting that the child be protected. He spoke the words in an attempt to guilt the other over entrusting Uzumaki Naruto to a stranger.

Besides, a Jinchuuriki was a village’s most guarded secret. There was no way an unknown person could be entrusted with them.

Much to his shock and growing frustration, his old teammate looked unruffled and completely calm.

The Sandaime merely raised an eyebrow. _‘So that’s what he is going with.’_ Out loud, he said, “Have you forgotten the main trait of an Uzumaki, Danzo? They are _extremely_ _loyal_. By offering her refuge with no strings attached, I have her loyalty. She will bring no harm to Konoha.”

Hiruzen knew that his words were anything but the truth. Hikari was certainly loyal to Konoha, her position as Rokudaime Hokage proved that. But she was also willing to kick him if he was being stupid. He was still on fragile ground with her but Kakashi and Naruto had already been claimed. For them, she would burn the world.

With that knowledge, Hiruzen knew that he had to ensure that Danzo knew that any attempt on the redhead would be met with extreme prejudice. “Stay away from her, Danzo. She is not a toy for you to play with. If I hear anything about you and yours approaching her and mark my words, I _will_ hear about it; if you even _think_ about discrediting her, to entice her to Root....”

He let the warning hang in the air, the entire room thick with tension.

The Sandaime knew that the message had sunk in when Danzo gave a short nod; the war hawk would back away for the time being but not forever. He knew him far too well to believe that.

“Very well,” Danzo finally said, his eye dark with suppressed fury. “I will not pursue this matter anymore.” He turned on his heel, moving purposefully towards the door. Just before he left though, he asked, “If the girl proves to be a traitor, what will you do?”

 _‘That will never happen,’_ Hiruzen thought with amusement, stifling a snort. It would be stupid to let anything slip. Instead, he inclined his head and replied, “Should that ever happen, I will shoulder full responsibility for it.”

With that, Danzo left, leaving the Sarutobi to his thoughts. He didn’t realize how much leeway he had given Danzo, even pardoning the assassination attempt on him a couple of years ago. _‘I wonder how I would have reacted to the situation if I had already opened my eyes to Danzo’s manipulations back then,’_ Hiruzen pondered with regret. _‘Too much has already been affected because I was too soft on him.’_

Sighing, he tucked the thoughts back into a corner of his brain, not wanting them to bother him anymore that day.

Hiruzen was going to meet little Naruto tonight and nothing could make his good mood falter.

* * *

At seven o’clock sharp in the evening, Hiruzen knocked on the door to the Uzumaki’s residence. Hikari answered, a pleased smile playing on her lips. When he questioned her as to why, the smile transformed into a grin as she replied, “Don’t know if Kakashi-nii told you but approach my barrier with even a smidge of ill-intent towards the occupants and you’ll get fried ten ways to Sunday.”

“What.”

Hikari snickered at the deadpan response, beckoning him in. “I was joking; for now, it just wouldn’t allow you in but I _can_ activate that feature whenever I want.”

“I see...”

“In any case, welcome to our humble abode, Jiji!” the redhead beamed, gesturing around her expansively. “What do you think?”

Hiruzen chuckled, “You seem to have a very good job, Hikari-chan.” And it was indeed the truth; the house was painted in warm but muted colours, giving it a soft atmosphere. But the most compelling fact was that it felt lived in, with traces of both Uzumaki children scattered everywhere: books, seals -which Hiruzen attributed to Hikari-, crayons and paper, and other little knick-knacks.

Just one week and the house already felt like a home.

“Naru-chan! Come down, please! There’s someone here to see you!”

“Okay, nee-san!” came the slightly muffled reply, followed by the sound of a door being thrown open. Instead of a toddler though, a lanky teenager came into view at the top of the stairs.

“Kakashi-kun.”

“Hokage-sama,” Kakashi inclined his head slightly in greeting, unperturbed at seeing his leader in the middle of the living room. Giggles broke the silence and a yellow shock of hair appeared over his shoulder, Naruto clinging to his back like a monkey.

“Kashi-nii! Down!”

The Sandaime had to smile at the way Kakashi softened, making his way down the stairs before reaching an arm back to grab Naruto by the collar and setting him on the floor. He didn’t seem as broken and lost as he had been; the two children’s presences were doing the young ANBU a lot of good.

The blond boy finally noticed the old man standing some distance away and stiffened, hiding behind Kakashi’s legs. His expression was wary; Naruto didn’t know anyone but his nee-san and nii-san, and all the adults before had not been kind to him.

Hiruzen noticed all of this and felt regret crash over him like a raging tsunami. He had hoped that the village would see Naruto for the innocent child he truly was and treat him kindly, but time and again he had been proven wrong.

And now the culmination of his mistakes was staring him in the face with a look of deep mistrust that no child should ever possess.

Hikari wanted to bash her head into the wall; why were almost all the people she loved so emotionally stunted?

Even she was better than them!

**_“You attract them.”_ **

_“Shut up, Kurama!”_ she retorted to her partner, pouting inwardly. _“Go sleep if you don’t have anything useful to say!”_

The Bijuu snorted, head resting on his front paws. **_“No, I want to watch,”_ **he drawled, amusement evident in the way he bared his teeth. **_“You humans may be stupid but the ones around you are always entertaining.”_**

Hikari ignored the fox, sighing at the rapidly deteriorating scene in front of her. Resisting the urge to hit everyone, she walked over to Naruto and pulled him out from behind Kakashi.

“Naru-chan, meet Sarutobi Hiruzen. You can call him Jiji,” she introduced the old Hokage to the child, who looked up at her curiously. “I call him that too.”

Naruto looked uncertainly between her and the Sandaime, nodding a little. Some of the wariness disappeared and he stared into the aged man’s eyes steadily. “Hello, Jiji?”

“Hello, Naru-chan. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Hiruzen murmured softly, relieved that Hikari had broken the tense atmosphere. He knelt to the child’s level, smiling at him and almost melting when Naruto’s mistrustful expression gave way to a huge grin.

The Sarutobi pulled out something from inside his robes and held it out to Naruto, “A little present for you, Naru-chan.”

Eyes widening, Naruto looked to Hikari who nodded with a smile and turned back to the Hokage, grabbing the present and cheerfully saying, “Thanks, Jiji!”

Hiruzen chuckled with a rush of fondness when Naruto plopped down immediately to play with the toy, rising to his feet. Hikari was shaking her head in exasperation, complaining half-heartedly, “What’s with you animal summoners giving him plushies of your animals?”

“Oh?”

Kakashi cut in with an answer, “I got Naruto a stuffed dog.”

“Ah. Now he has a dog and a monkey. Variety is good, Hikari-chan,” the Sandaime said cheerfully, making the girl throw her hands up in resignation. “You would understand if you were a summoner too.”

“I _am_ one and I don’t have the urge to pile him with...” Hikari trailed off, an odd look on her face. Hiruzen and Kakashi exchanged confused glances, deciding to wait out an answer.

The redhead shook her head suddenly, as if trying to physically shake her thoughts off. Catching the bemused looks, she explained, keeping her voice low so that Naruto wouldn’t hear, “I used to hold the Toad contract. But since I’m in a different dimension now, I don’t think it’s valid anymore.”

“Have you tried?” Kakashi queried, intrigued.

“No,” Hikari replied, heading into the kitchen. The two men followed her, Naruto trailing behind them a little later but too immersed with his new toy to pay any attention to the trio.

“I haven’t the slightest idea about what might happen, now that I think about it,” she spoke absently, checking something boiling in a pot. Hiruzen knew who currently held the Toad contract, so he offered, “I could order Jiraiya to come back if you want to sign the contract again.”

Kurama growled in her mindscape before she could answer, making the girl twitch. “One moment,” she told the two men, descending into her mindscape to stare at the agitated fox.

_“What?”_

**_“You are not signing the Toad contract again!”_** Kurama shouted, slitted crimson eyes glaring at his Jinchuuriki. **_“I do not want those vermin around!”_**

 _“Oi! Don’t diss the toads! They’re awesome!”_ Hikari yelled, waving her fists at the Bijuu. Kurama snorted, quieting a little, **_“They were all brawn and nothing else; I would care less about them.”_**

Hikari frowned, not quite agreeing with him but conceding a little. Toads were useful in a lot of ways, but it was true that most of them were meant for heavy combat. Their huge size made them suitable for battling large numbers, not for subtle fights.

And if Hikari were to influence the timeline, she would need subtlety.

She sat down, making Kurama raise an eyebrow at her. **_“What are you thinking, kit?”_**

 _“You’re right about some things. I loved the toads but I don’t think they will suit me anymore.”_ The war had changed her a lot and now Hikari preferred to lurk in the shadows and strike with the element of surprise instead of the straight-forward brawls of her younger years.

**_“What else?”_ **

Hikari huffed, giving the fox the stink eye. _“If I started summoning toads, I would attract attention from Kumo and Iwa before I could even blink. Ero-sennin and Dad were the only Toad summoners; I’d just get a huge target painted on my back.”_

**_“Do you even need summons? With your chakra and Kage Bunshin, you could be anywhere you want.”_ **

Kurama had a point, although...

 _“They could still dispel easily,”_ she pointed out; even if her seals made her clones way sturdier than normal ones, they still had weaknesses. Well, there was no use in thinking about it now.

_“In any case, I’m not going to be in any major battles for a while. I don’t need any summons at the moment.”_

With that last remark, Hikari returned to the real world just in time to remove the pot from the stove, before the contents burned. “Oops. Mental note to myself: must not go into my mindscape while cooking,” she muttered, earning amused looks from Kakashi and Hiruzen.

“So?” Kakashi prodded, curious. “What were you doing?”

Even Hiruzen looked interested in the answer, making Hikari sweat-drop. “My tenant was saying that he didn’t want me to sign the Toad contract again.” She reached up to take some plates from a high shelf, bemused when Kakashi beat her to it. He avoided her attempts to take them and started setting the table, asking, “What was your reply?”

Apparently, neither Hiruzen and Kakashi batted an eye at her being on friendly terms with the most powerful Bijuu or were choosing to ignore the fact until they had no choice. Hikari was betting on the latter.

“It would attract too much attention and I don’t feel they would suit me as I am now.”

“Then do you intend to take another summoning contract, Hikari-chan?”

“Nah,” Hikari waved her hand in response to the Sandaime’s question, flitting around the kitchen to check all the food and to start plating. “I don’t need any, honestly. If anything interesting comes by, I’ll consider it.”

The conversation tapered off after that, the redhead piling the table with food. “You seemed to have gone all out, Hikari-chan,” Hiruzen remarked, staring at the plates.

There was beef curry, the traditional miso soup, vegetable stir fry, tempura and even multiple plates of sushi. Hikari ducked her head, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck. “I’ve always liked cooking and Naruto’s never had anything elaborate, so I thought I’d take the opportunity.”

As if on cue, said toddler ran in; he had gone to his room to deposit his present some time ago. Naruto perked up at the delicious smells wafting through the air, “Food? We can eat?”

Hikari stifled a chuckle; it seems like Naruto appreciated good food as much as she did. _‘I should take him to Ichiraku Ramen sometime. No way am I letting him miss out on the greatness of ramen!’_

“Yes, Naru-chan; we can eat now. Did you wash your hands?”

“Uh oh,” the three year old blinked, turning to the Hokage who was the closest to the kitchen sink. He held his arms up, demanding, “Jiji! Up!”

Heart warming at the adorable display, Hiruzen smiled, bending down to pick the child up. “There you go, Naru-chan.”

“Yay!”

Naruto lathered his hands, insisting that the old man did the same, much to Hikari and Kakashi’s entertainment. Once they were done, Naruto held on to the Sarutobi’s robes, prompting Hiruzen to carry him over to the table.

“Thanks for the food!”

The four of them started on their food, praising Hikari with abandon and watching with amusement when the girl turned almost as red as her hair. Naruto loved the curry as soon as he tasted it, claiming the pot with a yelled “Mine!”

Kakashi did the same when he discovered that the stir fry _and_ miso soup had eggplant, but was more subtle about it. Hiruzen favoured the tempura and sushi, already plotting to bribe the girl into making him sardine fish balls sometime.

While all of that was going on, Hikari watched with an air of exasperation which was only tempered by her fond smile. _‘Good thing they all picked different favourites; I would have to toss them out if they started fighting over food. Well, maybe not Naru-chan’,_ she amended. _‘He’s too cute for that.’_

* * *

Hikari came down after putting Naruto to bed, the child worn out after the excitement of the evening and the warmth of a full stomach. She drifted into the kitchen and made some tea, carrying the teapot and three cups to the living room on a tray.

Once Hiruzen and Kakashi were handed a cup of tea each, the redhead curled into a corner of the couch with her own cup, feet tucked underneath her. She took a sip, gaze fixed on the near invisible lines of stress on the Sandaime’s face.

“Okay, spill it, Jiji; I can tell that you want to say something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will feature the first plans for the future events.
> 
> If anyone is wondering, my writing style is sporadic; I don't have a set plot. Instead, I write on the flow, using certain key events that I want in the story that will not change. So if anyone has any suggestions or something they would really like to see, do leave a comment. I'll do my best to incorporate it somehow!  
> Your comments actually do give me tons of ideas and I'll admit that Kakashi summoning his ninken for Naruto to play with was inspired by them.
> 
> Posted: 17/05/2020


	6. Plans made and thwarted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio plot, people are confused and Shikaku is triggered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> This chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones and also quite wordy, I think.  
> I did consider splitting it in half but there's no point in dragging out things so you get a long one this time.
> 
> I will be addressing some of your comments from the previous chapter in the ending notes, so take a look if you're curious.
> 
> Now, onto the story!  
> Enjoy reading!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

_Last time:_

_Hikari came down after putting Naruto to bed, the child worn out after the excitement of the evening and the warmth of a full stomach. She drifted into the kitchen and made some tea, carrying the teapot and three cups to the living room on a tray._

_Once Hiruzen and Kakashi were handed a cup of tea each, the redhead curled into a corner of the couch with her own cup, feet tucked underneath her. She took a sip, gaze fixed on the near invisible lines of stress on the Sandaime’s face._

_“Okay, spill it, Jiji; I can tell that you want to say something.”_

Hiruzen sighed faintly, lowering his cup. He watched the steam rising from the liquid, realizing that there was no beating around the bush with Hikari. “Danzo came to see me today.”

“About me.”

There was no hesitation or fear in the Uzumaki’s voice, just an air of nonchalance. Kakashi, however, tensed; he looked like a hair-trigger away from disappearing from his spot in an attempt to assassinate the old manipulator.

Hikari rolled her eyes at him, amused but touched and ordered, “Down, boy. I don’t want you running off recklessly. That means I would have to rescue you then we both would have to go on the run and I don’t want to inflict that on Naruto.”

“How can you be so calm?!”

“Because I know that old geezer can’t hurt me.” This was said so matter-of-factly that both the men were stunned. “He can send all of his Root at me; none of them will be able to land a scratch on me.”

The Sandaime shook his head, “What about Naruto? He might be caught in the cross-fire, if Danzo does resort to that.”

A red eyebrow twitched in annoyance and Hikari shifted, swinging her legs off the couch. “Why don’t the two of you go outside and let me give you an up and personal demonstration of the full features of my barrier?”

Neither men responded to that, looking utterly gobsmacked; they really had forgotten that.

“Besides,” she smirked suddenly, an expression of pure mischief on her face, “he would have to _catch_ me first.”

A kunai was thrown at the space between Hiruzen and Kakashi, the pair reacting on instinct to avoid the projectile by leaping to the side. They caught sight of familiar markings on the kunai’s handle just before Hikari _vanished_ from her seat, reappearing in a seated position on the back of the couch the two were just on.

Her hand shot out and deftly caught the kunai before it could pierce the wall. Hikari’s smirk was still present on her lips, a smug edge to it.

“You performed the Hiraishin,” Kakashi whispered, awe in his voice as he stared wide-eyed at the girl. He knew only the version that Minato had taught to his Guard Platoon and he didn’t have the seal formula for the original technique.

“Yep!” Hikari chirped, pleased at the reactions she had invoked. “It took a lot of trial and error, even some explosions before I finally got it. Dad was pretty proud when I mastered it.”

Hiruzen had to give it to the girl; she truly had inherited her parents’ brilliance. He had to wonder, _‘Would little Naruto grow up to be like her?’_

Probably, yes.

He knew without a doubt Hikari would pass on everything to the child and he would become just as great, perhaps without the deep darkness his female counterpart held but just as powerful.

The villagers truly were fools.

“You have established that Danzo is nothing to you, Hikari-chan,” the Sandaime remarked with a dry tone, watching her twirl the kunai around her finger. “I wonder what else you can do.”

“Actually, not that much,” she admitted, hopping off the couch. She gestured for both men to sit back down, moving back to her original position herself. “My younger body isn’t as strong as I would like it to be, but I can spam ninjutsu with no end. With that and my seals, I can handle almost anything.”

“Can anyone currently in Konoha take you down?” Kakashi asked blandly. He himself had been beaten into the ground with ease just a few days ago. “You took me down rather easily.”

“Hah! That was because you were off-guard, Kashi-nii,” she snarked back. “If you had been on full alert, I would have had a harder time.”

“But eventually you have done it.”

Hikari had to concede, “I guess so, Jiji. But keep in mind that my body can’t take much, so extensive fighting is out for the moment.”

“I doubt you would have much reason to do so,” Hiruzen mused as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. “But we’ve gotten off track.”

The atmosphere turned serious again as all three focused on the matter at hand. “Danzo can’t, or won’t, do much to me or anyone else directly. But his manipulations are the real threat.”

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. “I don’t doubt that he has Konoha’s best interests at heart, but,” he ploughed on when Hikari made to protest, “his ideal of Konoha is much darker and militaristic.”

“True,” Hikari grudging said. “But that doesn’t make it right.”

Kakashi interrupted, drawing the others’ attention, “But will he make a move so soon? After his confrontation with Hokage-sama, if anything happens to you or Naruto, he will be suspected.”

“Danzo is used to moving in the shadows, Kashi-nii; he won’t need to dirty his hands to get what he wants. But all the same, I’ll keep an eye out.”

The old Hokage nodded, quickly recounting what had transpired when Danzo had paid him a visit. At the end, Hikari looked pensive. “I never actually encountered Danzo personally in my dimension. All my knowledge of him comes from when we had a break and others told me some stuff. As far as I know, he’s been meddling in lots of things since at least the Third Shinobi War. Perhaps even earlier, but I don’t think that’s very likely.”

Hiruzen and Kakashi traded grim looks; they knew what the old war hawk was capable of. Holding a silent conversation, they decided to tell Hikari what had happened some time before her arrival in their dimension.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, getting the redhead to focus on him. His grave expression made her straighten subconsciously, her features starting to mirror his. “Hikari-chan, do you know that Danzo covets the Hokage seat?”

“Yeah, I do. He tried to take it when I was fifteen.”

“After the incident three years ago, he attempted to become Hokage but I reclaimed it before he could gain the support needed and make it official. After that, he tried to assassinate me.”

Hikari frowned, “You obviously survived, Jiji. Why are you telling me this?”

Kakashi continued the story, “Two months ago, Danzo sent one of his Root shinobi to steal my Sharingan. I knew the operative from before so he eventually decided to not kill me and instead took a fake back. Danzo saw through the deception and tried to place his Cursed Seal on him.”

“Kakashi-kun went to save him but it was still the two were up against a small army. I interceded and convinced Danzo to hand over that Root operative to me.”

Tilting her head to the side, Hikari processed what they were telling her. “This person has to be special then. Still, it doesn’t answer my question.”

“He had the Mokuton.”

Hikari blinked.

“Huh?”

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at her dumbstruck expression. “Do you know him, Hikari-chan?”

“I think so…Yamato-taichou was the captain of my team for a while. He was the only one that I knew of who had Mokuton.”

“He used to be called Kinoe but goes by Tenzo now. He’s in ANBU too,” Kakashi said in response.

Hikari snapped her fingers as bells rang in the back of her head. “Yeah, that’s him. My sensei used to call him Tenzo a lot though I never knew why. Guess I do now,” she muttered. “Brown hair, black eyes?”

“Yes.”

She shuddered a little, recalling how Yamato would use his eyes to freak her out. She absolutely refused to remember how his body had looked when she had finally found him, skin so very pale and shriveled and still in death. Another precious person she had been too late to save.

Thinking of him, however, made her remember something. “Wait…. _Orochimaru_?!” she hissed, finally connecting the dots.

“That’s right,” Hiruzen replied, heart heavy at the mere thought of his former student. “We have no proof, but we think that it was Danzo who drove Orochimaru to the level of depravity he is at now.”

Hikari stared at him for a moment then snorted, fixing narrowed eyes on the Hokage. “Don’t try to justify the snake bastard’s actions, Jiji; I _will_ punch you. With or without Danzo, Orochimaru would have eventually stooped to that level. Perhaps if the old coot hadn’t intervened, he might have been convinced to turn back. But after everything, I can’t find it in myself to even begin to forgive him.”

There was no love lost between her and the Snake Sannin; he had taken her Sasuke away from her and she would never forgive him for it.

“Oh, whatever!” Hikari fell back on the couch, eagle-spread. “I don’t care what Danzo does to me; I’ve already said I can take it.”

Hiruzen relented; even if he had huge blind spots in the form of his teammate and student, he had no right to push his views on another. “Your words imply that he will do something to someone else.”

“An entire clan,” Hikari corrected, blue eyes trained on the ceiling. “The Uchiha, to be specific.”

That caught the two men’s attention and Kakashi leant closer, asking, “What happened in your world?”

“It’s a long story,” the girl murmured, her thoughts going to the two Uchiha who had been the most affected; Obito didn’t count. “Let’s go back to the beginning. When the Kyuubi attacked, where were the Uchiha?”

“They were protecting and evacuating the civilians. I remember because I was doing the sa-” Kakashi cut himself off, a look of contemplation crossing the visible part of his face.

“And who ordered that?”

Kakashi swallowed, not liking what he was beginning to see. “Danzo did. Though it was Sandaime-sama who ordered that children, regardless of rank, should not fight against the Kyuubi.”

Hikari nodded. “Jiji made the right call; young as you were, the corrosive chakra would have destroyed your chakra coils. Anyways, regarding the Uchiha, from what I was told, Danzo did that because he thought perhaps someone would take advantage of the situation and try to control the Kyuubi.”

“Do you believe the Uchiha would have done such a thing, Hikari-chan?” Hiruzen queried, knowing of the suspicion the Council felt towards the clan.

“No,” she promptly answered. “They are prideful, yes, but they are also loyal to Konoha. Unless, of course, you give them cause to be otherwise.” She glared at the Sandaime for interrupting her, cowing him into submission before she continued.

“The only way, or that I know of, for an Uchiha to control a Bijuu is if they have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan or at least the three tomoes of a normal Sharingan. Even then, they need a lot of chakra and control to cast a genjutsu powerful enough to control a Bijuu.”

“Some of the Uchiha are very powerful,” Kakashi pointed out reluctantly. He might dislike the clan for neglecting Obito, but he didn’t think they would betray Konoha.

“True. But chakra without the required dojutsu is useless,” Hikari refuted. She knew that at that point in time, only Uchiha Fugaku had fulfilled both the conditions. She also knew that he wouldn’t have done anything. “The point is that they held no ill intent towards the village. Not until the Council interfered.”

This part of the story was something she had been told in bits and pieces by both Sasuke and Itachi, so she had to take a moment to gather her thoughts. “Even though there had been no proof, they suspected the Uchiha and ordered them to be locked up in the compound. Because of that, the villagers began distrusting the Uchiha, alienating them even further.”

 _‘I understand them, in a way,’_ Hikari thought absently, staring up at the ceiling. _‘If I didn’t find my precious people, I probably would have tried to lash out at the villagers too.’_

“It got really bad and they started to plan a coup,” she revealed bluntly. Raising a hand to stop Hiruzen from speaking, she continued, “There were two Uchiha who didn’t side with the clan, so they told everything to the Council. One of them, Shisui, had a Mangekyo ability that could cast a mind-controlling genjutsu. He was going to use it on the Clan Head.”

There was complete silence in the room, the men struck dumb by what they were hearing. They knew they wouldn’t like where the story was going, but couldn’t help the morbid curiosity that made them wish that Hikari would hurry up.

Sitting up straight, Hikari pushed her hair back over her shoulder and fixed Hiruzen with a blank gaze. “Shisui failed, but not through any fault of his own. Danzo stole one of his eyes, not trusting him to get the job done. Shisui managed to flee before Danzo could get the other eye. He met the other one not involved in the coup, gave him his other eye and committed suicide.”

Hiruzen was frozen in horror at the atrocities his counterpart had allowed to occur, willingly or unwillingly. Would he have done the same things too? He recognized the name Hikari had mentioned: Uchiha Shisui was one of the newly minted Jounin. He was only eleven years old, for Sage’s sake!

“Who was the other Uchiha?”

Kakashi’s question seemed to make the redhead wake from whatever trance she had fallen into and she blinked, “Oh. That was Itachi.”

“Itachi? As in the _Clan Heir_?”

“Yep. He was fiercely loyal to Konoha, over his clan.” She sighed, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. If this dimension matched hers, then they would have at least four years till the massacre. But the foundation needed to be laid _immediately_ , lest they fail.

“Danzo gave Itachi an ultimatum: the clan or his younger brother. He chose Sasuke.” Hikari smiled bitterly. This was one of the things she had hated about her Jiji; the old bastard had taken advantage of the Sandaime’s soft-heartedness and sent an entire clan to their deaths.

“Itachi killed the Uchiha-” ‘- _assisted by Obito-’_ “-leaving only Sasuke alive. He defected from the village after that, making everyone believe that he had done it to test his power so that the Uchiha name wouldn’t be tarnished and to avoid a civil war.”

Hiruzen finally found his voice, looking as if he had aged ten years in the span of five minutes, “How did I allow that to happen?”

“You didn’t actually know; Itachi reported it to you only after he did it,” Hikari offered, feeling a sliver of pity for the man. Kakashi was so still that she wasn’t sure if he was even breathing. “You got pretty angry with Danzo, took him off the Council as punishment and ordered him to disband Root.”

“But it was too late,” the old Hokage muttered, feeling disgusted with himself. _‘Looks like I have more to atone for,’_ he thought, steeling himself and shoving all self-pity and self-anger away for the moment. He didn’t deserve to wallow in his mistakes. He needed to face them. “What should be done?”

The female Uzumaki eyed him with a faint look of approval and nodded, “We have approximately four to five years but the seeds have already been planted. The villagers have started to shun the Uchiha.” She recalled the incident in the market the other day, the Uchiha boy she had bumped into and the following events. Hikari had managed to twist that situation with a few well placed words but that effect wouldn’t last.

“I heard a rumor that Uchiha were going to be locked away on the outskirts of the village. Don’t let it happen, Jiji.”

The Sandaime nodded in agreement. “I have heard those as well. There will be a Council meeting soon, I expect it will be brought up then.” And wouldn’t that be a blow? Fugaku would be in the meeting too and he would have to bear the discrimination of the entire village because of mere _rumors_.

“Don’t be too obvious or forceful about supporting the Uchiha,” Hikari suggested. “Make sure you act casual, like it’s natural for you to do that. Otherwise the Uchiha would suspect you too and treat everything you say with suspicion.”

“What can I do?” Kakashi asked brusquely, single grey eye focused with terrifying intensity on the redhead.

Said girl looked thoughtful, scratching her head. “Uh…you’re not in the Uchiha’s good books, so I guess they won’t take you seriously. Maybe you could just…dissuade the rumors?”

The teen gave a single nod. He couldn’t just go out and start forcing people to not spread more rumors but he could ensure that it wouldn’t be allowed in his presence.

“Oh! Can you watch out for Root?”

“Fine, but why?”

“Perhaps Danzo has some ulterior motive for offing the clan or maybe not, but I wouldn’t put it past him to aggravate the situation or something. Just watch for any suspicious activity but don’t confront them.”

“Is there nothing else we can do?” Hiruzen asked. Preventing the spread of malicious rumors was one thing but he wasn’t sure how it would contribute to avoiding a tragedy.

Hikari shook her head. “No. If this succeeds, then the Uchiha would have no need to stage a coup. Think about it: Senju and Uchiha were the founding clans of Konoha. Why is Senju so highly praised while Uchiha is cursed? Madara was the only one who betrayed the village. So why are they sidelined so much?”

Neither had an answer to that, but it did make them think. For all of the Senju’s fame, only Tsunade remained of the once wide-spread clan while the Uchiha were still thriving. There might be a few descendants scattered among different families, but the main branch was almost dead. But they were still highly revered. So why not the Uchiha?

* * *

Minutes ticked by, the occupants of the living room sitting quietly as Hiruzen and Kakashi processed one of the possible tragedies in the future. Their teacups were still half full, the contents long since gone cold.

Hikari was the only one who seemed unconcerned, idly twirling a kunai on a finger as she pondered what else she had to change.

**_“Oi, brat.”_ **

_“What, you grumpy old fox?”_

**_“You forgot the Hyuuga.”_ **

_“Huh? The Hyu- Neji!”_

She shot off the couch, startling the men and starting pacing across the room. “Neji said it happened on Hinata’s third birthday,” she mumbled, biting her nails. “Naruto’s just turned three, so…”

Suddenly rounding on the bemused Sandaime, Hikari demanded, “Jiji, are you currently negotiating a treaty with Kumo?”

“No,” he replied with narrowed eyes, interest sparked by the new topic. “But it is likely to happen soon.”

Hikari nodded distractedly, blue eyes staring out the window into the distance. “I don’t know the specifics of the treaty but Kumo manipulated it in their favor.”

“Manipulated it how?” Now Kakashi was interested. _‘Kumo is infamous for stealing bloodlines; Kushina-san’s attempted kidnapping proved that. Did they try that again?’_

His suspicions were proven right.

“Kumo’s Head Shinobi came to the village to sign the treaty,” the redhead explained, resuming her pacing. “The Hyuuga offered to house him as a gesture of good will. But after the treaty was signed, he kidnapped Hinata during the night and tried to escape. Hiashi-san chased him and killed him.”

“I presume this is where the manipulations came into play.”

“You’d be right, Jiji. Kumo denied everything and demanded that Konoha repay them with the body of the killer, in this case, Hiashi-san. It was part of the treaty: if someone killed someone from the other village, the victim’s village would get the killer as compensation.”

The pieces clicked into place and Kakashi deduced what Kumo had planned for. “If the kidnapping succeeded, then they would have the heiress. And if they failed, they would still get the Byakugan from Hiashi-sama’s body.”

“Exactly. Konoha couldn’t afford another war, so Jiji agreed.” Here Hikari shot a look of reproach at the Sandaime, warning him to not even consider such a thing. “Hiashi-san agreed too, if only to prevent the possibility of war. But Hizashi-san sacrificed himself instead. His Caged Bird Seal activated upon his death and kept the Byakugan from the hands of Kumo.”

Hiruzen pondered over the information and asked a question he was sure would invoke the girl’s rage but he had to know, “Forgive this foolish old man, Hikari-chan, but this incident would not harm Konoha if it were to happen. Why would you be so fixated on it?”

Much to his astonishment, Hikari only glared instead of blowing up at him. She crossed her arms over her chest, “I expected that. Maybe Konoha wasn’t harmed much, but it certainly hurt my friends. Hinata suffered under the weight of her clan’s expectations; the Hyuuga elders perceived her kidnapping as weakness. Neji lost his father and was bound to the Branch House. He became hateful and fixated on _destiny_ , believing that he was nothing but a mere slave to the Main House.”

She remembered Neji with a pang of sorrow, blue eyes clouding with pain. He had eventually become of her best friends and had been a steady presence at her side, silent and supportive.

Neji had been the first precious person Hikari had lost in the war.

“I promised that one day I would change the Hyuuga, that they wouldn’t be Main and Branch houses anymore. Just…Hyuuga. I might have failed in my world, but I won’t let it happen here.” Her words were spoken in a fierce whisper, pain and determination and resolve clear in her unflinching gaze. “Even if I have to fight Kumo myself, Neji will not lose his father while I’m still here.”

Hiruzen didn’t doubt that, not one bit. He had a feeling that the upcoming treaty would probably be written up with the clause Hikari had told them about, giving Kumo a way to antagonize Konoha. “This battle will initially be fought on the political battleground,” Hiruzen grimaced. Shinobi politics was always messy, too much dealing in the shadows and politely worded threats.

While the Hokage dwelt on the matter, Kakashi turned to the Uzumaki. “What will you do if things happen the same way? We need a back-up plan too.”

“I know. It won’t be hard for one of us to tail the Kumo shinobi when he gets here,” Hikari waved a hand dismissively. “If he takes Hinata or any of the Hyuuga, we take him down before anyone else. Drop him off at T&I and we’re safe from Kumo’s retribution. They would have broken the treaty first.”

Kakashi subsided after that, no doubt thinking of how ANBU patrols would need to be planned and to make sure he was in place, if necessary. If Hikari had been friends with the Hyuuga, then they would need to be protected. Besides, they were Naruto’s future friends. No way would the little blond be deprived of them before even meeting them.

Meanwhile, Hikari was feeling uneasy. For some reason, she had a weird premonition that told her that things would probably not be the same.

She just didn’t know if it would be good or bad.

**_“Stop brooding, kit.”_ **

_“But Kurama! If I mess this up, Neji will suffer again! Hinata too! Hiashi-san might not have been a real bastard but he was cruel to them when they were kids!”_

**_“If, and I mean if trouble comes up, just beat it up. Not like you can’t do it.”_ **

_“I know, but…”_

Hikari took a deep breath, calming her nerves. It would do no good to start panicking. She had a good two months; that was enough time to hide Hiraishin markers all over Konoha. No matter where the Kumo bastard tried to run, she would definitely get him.

_“Thanks, Kurama. For the reminder, too.”_

**_“Hmm.”_ **

She smiled fondly as the Bijuu curled up in her mindscape, going back to his nap. No matter what, she would always keep her promises!

Taking a look at the clock, Hikari blinked. _‘Already past midnight? Time sure flies when you’re plotting.’_ She stood up to clear the table, dumping the leftover tea into the sink and washing the utensils quickly.

The living room was empty when she returned from the kitchen and she followed the chakra signatures she could sense to the entrance. Hiruzen smiled when she reached him, “Thank you for the delicious dinner, Hikari-chan; I truly enjoyed it.”

He startled when the girl wrapped her arms around him, hugging him briefly before stepping back. “Come back sometime, Jiji. You’re always welcome.”

The Sandaime inclined his head in acknowledgement and left, Hikari and Kakashi seeing him off. When the door swung shut, the redhead looked up at the ANBU. “Staying for the night, Kashi-nii?”

Said teen shrugged, watching as she went around checking her seals and switching off the lights. “Might as well; my apartment’s on the other side of the village, anyway.”

“Why travel all the way there when you have a warm bed here, huh?” Hikari grinned brightly as they made their way to their respective rooms.

Before she could enter her room though, a hand caught her arm, halting her movements. She looked up inquisitively at the silver haired teen, eyebrows rising in surprise at the seriousness she found in his visible eye.

“I need you to be careful too.”

“Huh?”

“Kumo tried kidnapping Kushina-san once.”

“I know that,” Hikari said, brow furrowed in confusion. The chakra impression of her mother had told her the story years ago. What did that have anything to do with….oh.

“You’re thinking they’d try that with Naruto?”

Kakashi shook his head. “Not him. You.”

“Me?”

He nearly face-planted at the blank expression; Hikari was really dense. He gestured to her hair, “Naruto might look like Minato-sensei but they won’t be very interested in him and taking him would be a greater mess than they could handle. But you’re obviously an Uzumaki.”

Hikari’s hand shot up to clutch at her crimson strands, as if remembering that she wasn’t blonde anymore. “Huh…didn’t consider that.”

She startled when Kakashi clutched at her shoulders, his grip tighter than normal. “Promise me,” he demanded, his serious gaze pinning her in place. “Promise me that you won’t let yourself be taken.”

_Promise me that you wouldn’t leave me._

Her Kakashi-sensei would never have demanded such a thing; instead he would have hovered and fussed, subtly keeping her in his sights and protecting her. But this younger Kakashi was still fresh from his loss and deeply grieving; he would have Naruto even if Hikari disappeared but…

 _‘He really cares about me,’_ Hikari thought faintly, looking up at the ANBU with wonder. _‘Not because of Naruto but for **me**.’_

Hikari slipped free of the hands holding her and hugged Kakashi, burying her face in his torso. “Don’t worry,” she mumbled in a comforting tone. “I can’t guarantee anything but I can promise that I won’t risk my life.”

_I promise that I’ll always come back._

* * *

The Sandaime Hokage didn’t know whether to sigh or laugh; the Clan Council was reacting just as Hikari had predicted.

It was the monthly Clan Council meeting and all of the Clan Heads, along with his advisors and the civilian representative were gathered in the Hokage’s office. Hiruzen had to resist the urge to rub his head: the ranting of the civilian representative was starting to irritate him.

“You must control your shinobi, Hokage-sama! They cannot go around breaking public property and threatening innocent people!”

Fortunately for him, Hiruzen was saved from coming up with a response. The Uchiha Clan Head spoke up, expression impassive except for the beginnings of a frown in the lines of his face. “If such an incident had occurred, why was it not reported to the Police Force?”

The pudgy looking man switched his gaze to the Clan Head, shrinking a little at the stern stare from Fugaku. “U-Uchiha-sama,” he stuttered, losing some of his bluster. “We would dare not bring such a trivial matter to you.”

It was the wrong thing to say. Most of the Clan Heads felt some form of amusement; the Inuzuka Head, never one for decorum, snorted loudly. Even the ever regal Hyuuga Hiashi raised an eyebrow at the contradicting words.

“So it is fine to bother Hokage-sama with ‘ _trivial matters’_?” Fugaku queried, a tick on his forehead. “Any incident involving civilians is to be brought to the Police Force. It is the duty of the Uchiha to protect Konoha and to uphold justice.”

“Y-Yes, Uchiha-sama. I-,” the civilian cleared his throat, obviously nervous by the fact that he was sweating bullets. “I apologize for our misconduct.

“Regardless, we might as well hear it since we are here,” Hiruzen interrupted. He knew very well where this was heading and he figured that Uzumaki Hikari’s existence might as well come out if it proceeded in that direction.

“Of course, Hokage-sama. Some days ago, a young man came to the orphanage and threatened the matron with some kind of jutsu, eventually destroying her desk.”

 _‘Ah, it really is that,’_ the Sandaime thought with a vague flicker of satisfaction. He had ignored the initial complaint he had received on that day. Since it had been regarding Naruto, he had not bothered to redirect them to the Police. _‘I wonder why the matron decided not to go to the Uchiha herself.’_

“The assailant appeared to be an ANBU and was accompanied by a red haired girl.”

The mention of the girl did not go unnoticed by the Clan Heads; Shikaku even stopped dozing off and looked alert. None of them missed the significance of the hair color.

“This wouldn’t happen to be the incident from two weeks ago now, would it?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!” The civilian representative, whose name was Hotaka, beamed; he obviously thought that the Hokage had understood his plight. “Such an unprovoked act of violence must be punished!”

“Unprovoked, you say?”

Fugaku stiffened and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the others do the same. For the genial expression the Sandaime showed, the killing intent he was starting to leak told a different story.

 _‘The fool is lying,’_ was the collective thought of the Clan Council as they sat back to watch the show.

“I sent my ANBU to the orphanage two weeks ago to retrieve a child. Did you know what the matron said?”

Hotaka finally noticed the killing intent and paled; he took a shaky step back, swallowing harshly as he replied, “No, Hokage-sama…”

“She said that he had been thrown out, that he did not deserve their care and made unjust claims against an innocent child. What do you have to say to that, Hotaka-kun?”

The civilian representative could no longer contain himself and forgetting Hiruzen’s ire as well as not noticing the glares aimed at him by the Clan Heads, yelled, “But the demon spawn should be killed! It needs to be punished for its deeds! How can you keep such a monster in the village, Hokage-sama?! Yondaime-sama would never have stood for it!”

 _‘Oh, Minato; if only you could see how the villagers treat your child,’_ Hiruzen thought sorrowfully, amidst his anger at the ignorant civilian’s words. But he didn’t need to reply, for once again, a Clan Head beat him to it.

“You bastard!” Inuzuka Tsume growled, standing up and slamming her palms on the table. Beside her, her ninken Kuromaru started snarling, teeth bared in a show of aggression. “No matter what, he is still a mere pup! I’ll rip you to pieces, you worthless piece of scum!”

Due to their more animalistic characteristics, the Inuzuka clan tended to hold their family close, just like their ninken formed packs. Naruto’s parents were close friends to Tsume, Kushina more so than Minato, and it only infuriated her more to hear such disgusting words spoken about their child.

“Calm down, Tsume.”

“Let go, Shibi!” The Inuzuka Matriarch tried to wrench her arm out of the Aburame’s grip, still snarling at the now cowering Hotaka. “He deserves to be beat up!”

The old Hokage watched the proceedings with a keen eye, gauging the reactions of the occupants of the room. His advisors, Danzo, Homura and Koharu were unconcerned, appearing to be more irritated by the situation than any concern for Naruto. _‘No allies there, but it is to be expected.’_

However, the Clan Heads held sympathy for the wronged child and took offense on his part. Hiruzen knew that all of them were friends of the Uzumaki-Namikaze couple; quite a few had petitioned to adopt the child but he had refused in order to not upset the power balance amongst the clans.

It was good to see that they were honestly concerned for Uzumaki Naruto.

Not to mention that most of their children were the same age as him; they could easily imagine their own child in Naruto’s place.

Hiruzen raised his hand in a silent signal and one of his ANBU emerged from the shadows to stand next to him. “Cat, please apprehend Hotaka-kun and send him to T&I for breaking the law.”

“Understood, Hokage-sama,” the woman saluted and moved to roughly grab the shaking mess of a man. The action quieted Tsume who gave a grudging nod in response to the Hokage’s amused gaze. It wasn’t what she would have done but at least it was better than letting him go scot-free. Besides, Ibiki and Anko would do worse to Hotaka than a mere beating.

“Oh, and Cat? Inform the Civilian Council that they would require a new representative.”

The ANBU gave a quick nod and hauled the man out the door, closing it behind them.

Tsume fell back into her chair, arms crossed over her chest. “So? Where’s the pup now?”

“I hope he wasn’t sent back to the orphanage, Hokage-sama. Why? Because it is clear that he is not safe there,” Shibi added, as unruffled as ever.

Danzo chose to speak at that moment, spotting a possible way to separate the Uzumaki children. “The boy has been handed over to the care of Uzumaki Hikari.”

Utter silence.

Inoichi glanced at the serene expression on the Hokage’s face, which was a stark contrast to Danzo’s hidden frustration. Clearly the one-eyed man had intended to provoke Hiruzen but he had not risen to the bait.

 _‘Actually, Hokage-sama looks pleased?’_ the Yamanaka mused, exchanging a look with Shikaku and Chouza. _‘Did he plan this?’_

“Hokage-sama, who is this Uzumaki?” Inoichi questioned when he saw that none of the others were about to speak.

“Hikari-chan arrived in Konoha two weeks ago. She is the daughter of a couple that was killed in a bandit attack,” Hiruzen answered, an amused smirk on his face. He knew that Shikaku would be on Hikari’s trail soon and wondered if he would figure her out himself or if Hikari would tell him.

“Is she truly an Uzumaki?”

“Her huge chakra reserves and crimson hair are quite evident of her Uzumaki heritage.” the Sandaime said drily. His next statement sounded like an afterthought, “She is quite young; only seven years old but hardened by her life of hiding.”

The old man said it on purpose though; a child would not put anyone on guard as much as an adult would. Hikari was anything but harmless but the picture of a young girl would serve to make the Council less suspicious. Hiruzen knew that at least Fugaku, Hiashi, Shikaku and Inoichi would investigate the girl but he trusted that they wouldn’t harm her in any way.

“Can she be trusted?”

This question came from Fugaku, who was more concerned about the safety of the village rather than her bloodline.

Hiruzen gave a single sharp nod which seemed to appease the dark haired man but he would no doubt confirm it for himself when the opportunity arose.

None of the other Clan Heads seemed to have any more questions. They trusted the Hokage’s judgement; if he believed that the new Uzumaki was no danger to them, then they had no reason to go against his decision. Besides, if she truly was as young as Hiruzen said and not a spy, she wouldn’t use the boy for her own benefit.

They also doubted that the girl knew of Naruto’s status as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi.

_If only they knew._

Danzo fumed silently, enraged that his plan had failed when Hiruzen had become neither defensive nor angry at his choice in pursuing the matter with the Uzumaki. He stiffened in his seat when the Sandaime glanced at him sideways, a knowing look in his dark eyes with a hint of warning.

“I am not a naïve fool, Danzo; Hound and Tenzo have been assigned to tail the girl until we know for sure that she isn’t a spy,” Hiruzen revealed, to the satisfaction of the Council. Even Homura and Koharu looked mollified, making the old war hawk back down.

 _‘It doesn’t matter; Kakashi-kun already knows the truth and Hikari-chan trusts Tenzo-kun,’_ the Sandaime smirked internally; the Hatake’s mission was merely a cover to give him time with Naruto and the Mokuton user was already familiar to Hikari, making the pair ideal for the redhead.

“Well then, shall we move on?”

* * *

The Shimura hid his seething rage under a veneer of calm, but he was sure both Hiruzen and the Nara had picked up on it. Both his attempts to get the Uzumaki female under his control had failed. Nevertheless, he would not be deterred. _‘The girl is a mere child; when Hiruzen lowers his guard, I will have opportunities to take her.’_

In the meantime, he had another fish to fry.

He let his gaze drift to the Uchiha Clan Head, allowing a thin, barely there smile to form when the man stiffened at the scrutiny.

“There is another matter to be discussed, Hiruzen; namely, the Uchiha.”

The air in the room tensed, the ANBU hidden in the shadows shifting minutely and reaching closer to their weapons. Shikaku’s gaze sharpened, completely focused on the advisor.

Utatane Koharu took the opening words as her cue and spoke in a haughty voice, “Yes, we must come to a decision about what to do with the clan.”

“Utatane-sama, with all due respect, what has my clan done to warrant your animosity?” Fugaku barely managed a civil tone, crushing all the resentment he felt when the advisors looked down on him with barely hidden disgust.

“Surely you have heard the rumors circulating amongst the villagers? We cannot afford any riots or any such problems; we have yet to recover completely from the incident three years ago.”

The old woman’s voice held an obvious note of contempt, staring straight at the bristling Uchiha Clan Head. “My clan has nothing to do with what you speak of. Do not insinuate that we are a liability to Konoha,” Fugaku said stiffly, expression pinched. He did not look at the rest of the Council, knowing that none would come to his aid.

“How dare you! You will not speak that way to your elders, boy!” Homura nearly shouted, both his and Utatane’s faces splotchy red with anger.

“That is enough!” Hiruzen cut in sharply. His entire posture screamed _danger_ , making the two elders pale and sit back shakily while Danzo narrowed his eyes at the Hokage. “Do not forget that the Council is still in session; Homura, mind your tongue.”

“But, Hiruzen-!”

“ _No_ , Koharu. Unfounded suspicions will not be entertained,” the Sandaime spoke softly but firmly. He kept Hikari’s warning in mind, making sure to stick to logic and not emotion. The Uchiha would not appreciate it.

“I’m aware that you are insinuating that the Uchiha clan has something with the incident three years ago,” he continued, gaze sweeping over the Council. He could tell that Fugaku wanted to protest but held himself back, gaining Hiruzen’s silent approval.

“We have investigated this issue extensively and found nothing.” Hiruzen looked straight at the Nara Clan Head and questioned, “What is your opinion on this matter, Shikaku?”

Nearly everyone in the village knew that the members of the Nara Clan were creatures of logic and reason. Nothing they did was baseless and if one stated anything, it was likely to be the truth. If Shikaku backed the Uchiha, then Hiruzen knew that at least some wagging mouths would shut up.

“There’s been no evidence to support the claims that the Uchiha released the Kyuubi,” Shikaku spoke slowly, mind whirring in an attempt to figure out the Hokage’s angle. Just like most of the Council, he was surprised at the Sandaime’s suddenly passive aggressive stance. He had never settled on anything himself, content to follow the advisors’ lead.

But now he had publicly rebuked all three of them, even Danzo.

Shikaku had to wonder what had triggered the Professor to become active again. His sharp mind caught onto something and some of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. _‘The child, Uzumaki Naruto. It’s an open secret that it was Danzo-sama who let the information leak about Naruto’s Jinchuuriki status,’_ the scarred man thought. _‘Hokage-sama must have hit his breaking point and decided to no longer allow their manipulations.’_

The Nara smirked. If that was what Hiruzen was planning, he was all for it. Besides, Shikaku had long since harbored his own reservations against Danzo.

He was well aware that there must be more to the Sandaime’s sudden one-eighty degree change and it most likely involved the Uzumaki pair of children. Shikaku would get his answers one way or another, eventually.

For now, he had a war hawk to topple.

“People say that it’s harder to prove that someone didn’t do something than to prove that they did it,” Shikaku said, voice back to his usual lazy drawl. “In this case, we have found nothing even after three years of investigation.”

And wherever the Nara went, the Yamanaka and Akimichi followed.

“The lack of evidence itself suggests that the Uchiha weren’t involved,” Chouza added, a trace of amusement in his voice as he glanced at his friend, knowing the Nara well enough to spot the other’s brain scrambling to piece together a huge puzzle. Inoichi held an identical expression, “Guilty until proven otherwise is the usual motive in T&I, Hokage-sama, but there is absolutely nothing here to accuse them of anything.”

_One out of three._

Konoha had four noble clans: Aburame, Akimichi, Hyuuga, Uchiha. With Chouza, that was one out of three noble clans. The Uchiha didn’t count in the current situation, for they were the accused.

To Hiruzen’s well hidden glee, Shibi spoke up, unprompted but highly appreciated, from next to a bored Tsume, “I agree with Inoichi. Why? None of the Uchiha have shown any hostility to Konoha and have only served to protect the village. We would be doing them a great disservice if we continue to ostracize them unfairly.”

_Two out of three._

All eyes were now on Hiashi, the last of the four noble clans of Konoha. The Aburame and Akimichi throwing their support behind the Uchiha was already good enough, but if the Hyuuga agreed too, however begrudgingly, it would thwart many of the advisors’ attempts to discredit the Uchiha.

Hiashi felt a vague flicker of irritation at being cornered; his vote would be one of the deciding factors and everyone knew it. He held no love for the other clan of dojutsu users in Konoha, his own pride in the Hyuuga’s bloodline being one of the reasons.

But he also did not wish ill upon them.

With that, Hiashi made his choice. “I agree with Shikaku, Hokage-sama,” he stated simply but with full certainty. He resolutely ignored the looks of surprise and shock he gained from Fugaku and the rest.

_Three out of three._

_‘Checkmate, Danzo.’_

* * *

“What do you think about the new girl?”

Shikaku looked up from the shogi board, raising an eyebrow at his friend. Inoichi had followed him to the Nara Compound after the Council meeting, dragging an amused Chouza behind him. The Nara had coerced the Yamanaka into a game; he knew Inoichi had come for a reason and was content to wait till the other told him.

Looked like it was time.

“The Uzumaki girl? You knew about her before the meeting?”

Inoichi nodded, moving one of his pieces on the board. “I’m not surprised you didn’t hear of her before. No one in the village was alerted of her arrival.”

“If she was a civilian, it wouldn’t be necessary,” Shikaku pointed out, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “I haven’t heard of anyone new in the Shinobi forces, even in Genin ranks.”

“She _is_ a civilian,” the blond man said, looking away from the game. “But that’s not the interesting part.” Inoichi paused, light green eyes meeting bored, dark ones. He knew his next words would erase that expression. “She’s not as harmless as Hokage-sama implied.”

Just as he’d predicted, Shikaku sat up, interest obvious in his posture. Chouza frowned, turning around from where he had been staring into the Nara forest, “What do you mean?”

“She came to my shop yesterday,” Inoichi admitted. He had intended to investigate the girl after the Council meeting but since Danzo had brought her up, he had gotten the answers he had wanted from Hiruzen himself.

“You’ve met her?”

“Just in passing, Chouza.”

_Inoichi was checking over some of the newly blooming flowers when an unfamiliar chakra signature entered his range. He frowned; the amount of chakra he could feel was huge, even more than an average Jounin would possess._

_‘Who-?’_

_Just as the thought crossed his mind, the bell to Yamanaka Flowers rang and Inoichi realized that whoever it was, they were in his shop._

_Noting that the chakra presence felt warm with no hint of malice, the Yamanaka Clan Head relaxed. He moved to the door separating the back area from the front of the shop and peered through, looking for the stranger._

_One of his clansmen, a young girl by the name of Ichika, was manning the shop and Inoichi could pick out the distinctive pale blonde hair in a corner._

_‘Ah, there they are.’_

_The customer was partially hidden by the plants in the shop but Inoichi saw a glimpse of a dark purple and black dress. That was when the stranger spoke, “Do you have any daffodils, Yamanaka-san?”_

_‘So it’s a girl.’_

_“Daffodils?” Ichika sounded bemused. “Yes, we do but those are usually popular around New Year. Are you sure you want those?”_

_“Yep!” came the cheerful reply from the girl. “I actually want them with the pot; I love gardening and I thought I’d start with flowers!”_

_“Oh, I see; you’re going for ‘new beginnings’, miss?”_

_The girl, probably younger than Ichika, Inoichi noted, laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, kinda…”_

_Ichika giggled at what Inoichi presumed was their customer’s expression and proceeded to pick out one of their white daffodils. “Is that all, miss?”_

_“Umm…some fertilizer and a couple of extra pots?”_

_“Sure, but will you be able to carry them all?” Ichika looked doubtful; the younger girl could probably carry the plant, but not the extra things._

_“I’ll just put them in storage scrolls.”_

_With that, Ichika moved to ring up the items and that was when Inoichi finally got his first look of the stranger. A wealth of crimson hair adorned the girl’s head, thick and shiny. She had it tied up in two pigtails, framing her face and preventing the Yamanaka from seeing her face from where he stood._

_‘That color! Is she…?’_

_The young girl paid for her purchases and sealed the bag of fertilizer and two pots into a storage scroll. She was reaching for the pot of white daffodils and her hands had just wrapped around it when she paused. Head tilting to the side, causing her long hair to slide across her shoulders, she seemed to be pondering something. Inoichi noticed a secretive smile curling her lips as she finally took the plant._

_“Thanks, Yamanaka-san!”_

_With that, the redhead bounced towards the door; the Yamanaka Clan Head was amused at the sheer amount of energy she seemed to have._

_What happened next though, made Inoichi stiffen._

_Just before the door closed completely, the redhead spun around; brilliant blue met pale green, a flicker of mischief in the oceanic deeps. She winked at him before running off, letting Inoichi know that she had noticed him watching her._

_What the hell?_

Shikaku was pensive as he mulled over Inoichi’s story. “Troublesome,” he grumbled, staring up at the clouds. “She isn’t a spy.”

“Yeah,” Chouza agreed, chuckling at the Nara’s expression, which had an odd mix of interest and frustration. “No spy would outright let their watcher know that they’re aware of them. Did you try tracking the girl, Inoichi?”

The pale blonde nodded, mildly sheepish and mostly impressed. “I tried to follow her -Hikari, was it?- soon after she left the shop, but she disappeared. I couldn’t even find a trace of her chakra.”

“Wait,” the Akimichi frowned. “You said her chakra reserves were huge; how could she even suppress all that and not let even a little leak out? If she’s a civilian, then she would have no training.”

“There’s nothing we know about her background, except that she’s an orphan.” Shikaku had to wonder at the similarities between Naruto and Hikari; both of them were orphans, lost with no one to claim them and having already suffered under the cruelty of the world.

Was it really a coincidence?

“Sandaime-sama seems to trust her,” the Yamanaka stated with a shrug. “He also seems to have changed a lot.”

“I have to agree with Inoichi; what are the odds that his change is related to the Uzumaki girl?”

“One hundred percent,” Shikaku groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. “The girl, how would you describe her, Inoichi?”

The blond paused, recalling his memories of meeting Hikari, however indirectly. He hadn’t gotten a complete look at her features but one thing popped up when he thought about her.

“Her deep red hair is a dead giveaway,” he deadpanned, making Chouza laugh heartily and Shikaku roll his eyes. “Other than that…her eyes.”

“Her eyes?” Shikaku echoed, curiosity growing even greater.

“She had blue eyes. I don’t remember the exact shade but I have the feeling I’ve seen them before.”

Another piece of the puzzle, which seemed to keep on growing. The Nara had a feeling that he was going to be entangled in something deep and he didn’t know if it was good or bad. There was no way he was going to pass up such a curious mystery.

_‘Uzumaki Hikari, eh? Interesting.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think of the chapter? This is my first time writing something related to politics and I had too much fun imagining Danzo's constipated face to try to make it more realistic....I'm sorry if it fell short of people's expectations.
> 
> So regarding some of the comments I wanted to answer:
> 
> 1) The order I have decided on of people who will meet Hikari and Naruto is kind of convoluted. As you would have seen in this chapter, Inoichi has seen her but not interacted with her personally yet. 
> 
> 2) Summons for Hikari...many of you have suggested that she get the Fox summons. I did consider it but I thought it was too expected since I've seen a lot of fanfics like that. But in the end, I settled on Fox summons. She'll get it eventually. Think I'll keep the Toads for chibi Naruto though; it's practically his inheritance.
> 
> 3) Haku...we'll have to wait till the Wave mission, won't we? It's what, nine years away?
> 
> 4) I really don't know about bringing the Uzumaki clan into politics; at this point, they're not an official clan in Konoha. But I do have ideas for them. Hikari will be manipulating the council via Hiruzen for now and perhaps other clan heads when she gets to them.
> 
> 5) The aftereffects of the Hyuuga affair may or may not have a huge impact on the future. I guess you might find out more in the next chapter. (Yes, that's right; the Hyuuga Affair comes next!)
> 
> If anyone is wondering why I don't answer comments, it is because I somehow manage to slip up and reveal spoilers for future chapters and I have to delete my reply entirely. But if you don't mind and want some kind of response from me, I'll try.  
> I do appreciate all your feedback though! Thank you all for taking the time to leave a review!  
> Until next time~
> 
> Posted: 24/05/2020


	7. New Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikari wonders why her luck is weird, someone gets a clue and Kumo begins to move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got away from me and wrote itself.... you'll see for yourself when you read it. 
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Hikari was perched atop a thick branch, the dense foliage hiding her from the view of a casual observer. Her chakra suppression and perception seals were at full strength; she needed them for her self-assigned mission. No matter how good her chakra control had gotten, it was still not easy for her to hide herself for a long time.

Below her were multiple people milling around, going about their daily routines. They were mostly dressed in shades of blue and black, sporting a red and white uchiwa pattern on some part of their clothing with pride.

_‘Watching them like this only drives home the fact that the Uchiha are people, just like everyone else.’_

The Sandaime had sent a message to her through Kakashi about the Clan Council meeting. The silver haired teen had had a smug expression, with a dash of viciousness that made him look absolutely gleeful.

Apparently, Danzo had brought up her name -probably in hopes of getting the Clan Heads on his side- but they had been prepared for it happening eventually. Hikari snickered upon imagining the old man’s face when none of the Council had objected to her custody of their Jinchuuriki, except for a passing interest in her.

Stupid manipulator shouldn’t have tried that after the civilian representative - _former-_ had taken a shot at Naruto.

He hadn’t learnt his lesson though and he had attempted to get control over the Uchiha, Mitokado and Utatane quickly following his lead. Hiruzen had called on Shikaku to help, the Nara delivering easily and rapidly shutting down the old trio.

The near unanimous support of the other Clan Heads had been an unexpected bonus.

“If I was right, then the proposal to move the Uchiha clan to the outskirts of Konoha would have been made in that meeting,” Hikari mused, smiling a little when loud laughter reached her ears. A bunch of Uchiha kids were running about, none of them more than five years old. She even spotted a few adults casting fond looks at the children.

For all that they were cold and taciturn to most people, the Uchiha still cared for their own. _‘Besides, looking at them now, I don’t think it was their choice to be so stand-offish,’_ the redhead thought with a pang. _‘Anyone would become closed off if they were pushed to the limit.’_

**_“Does that mean I can’t kill them?”_ **

_“Kurama!”_

Hikari slumped with exasperation and slipped into her mindscape with a tired groan, glaring at the slitted eyes that focused on her. _“If we somehow encounter Madara, you’re welcome to waste him but leave the other Uchiha alone.”_

**_“Not even that blasted fool who let himself be brainwashed?”_ **

_“No!”_

**_“Tch. You’re boring.”_ **

The fox grumbled, turning away from the redhead. His container was too forgiving; she had forgotten that the Uchiha had planned to extract him from her in their world for the coup. And Obito had been responsible for her parents’ deaths.

Well, he might have played a part in that...

Hikari frowned with worry when the fox’s ears drooped and she ran around to stand in front of her partner. _“What’s wrong, Kurama?”_ she asked softly, raising a hand to stroke the Bijuu’s snout when he nudged her with his nose.

 ** _“Nothing, brat,”_** Kurama replied; there was no point in rehashing their old argument. Instead, he told himself to be ready for if or when someone turned on the only human he truly cared for. **_“How long are you going to spy on the Uchiha? Their chakra makes me itch.”_**

_“I just wanted to check on them. Time to go, I guess.”_

Drawing back into the real world, Hikari cast one last glance at the peaceful Uchiha compound and stood up. She peeled back a piece of the bark of the tree she was in, placing a Hiraishin seal with a flicker of chakra. The seal’s chakra signature twisted a little, blending in with nature chakra. It was one of her own modifications; by hiding the seal with nature chakra, she could ensure that neither the Sharingan nor the Byakugan could see it.

If anyone wanted to find her Hiraishin seals, they had to physically find them. Unless they were a Sage, of course.

Hikari smoothed the bark back into place, patting the wood gently before taking off. She moved deeper into the forest, mapping it out. For all that the layout of Konoha was the same as her own, she didn’t know the forests as well as she wanted to.

A flash of black caught her attention and she paused mid-jump, turning to squint in the direction she had seen it. Was there someone this deep into the forest?

Curiosity piqued, Hikari decided to take a look. Checking that her seals were still active, she made her way over to where she had seen the black in a sea of greens and browns. Her steps were silent, not a single leaf touched by her movement. Not even the branches shook when she jumped off them.

A figure crouched on the ground came into view and the redhead stopped a few trees away, just shy of the clearing the person was in.

_‘A kid? He looks young.’_

The boy’s back was turned to her and he seemed to be around Hikari’s physical age. He didn’t appear to have noticed her.

The faint sound of crinkling paper reached Hikari’s enhanced ears and she perked up, craning her neck a little to see over the boy’s head. He was actually kneeling in front of a seal, evident to the redhead by the squiggly lines on the paper.

Channelling some chakra to her eyes to help her already enhanced eyes to see better, Hikari blinked a little when everything came into sharp focus. She shook her head and instead concentrated on picking out the seal.

Fuuinjutsu was in her blood; don’t blame her for being curious. Besides, kids normally didn’t mess around with seals.

 _‘It looks like a barrier seal,’_ Hikari mused, recognizing some of the kanji. _‘A fairly low powered one, to be exact.’_ Something caught her attention in the bottom right quadrant and blue eyes narrowed. _‘Wait, that’s not right. Why the hell would there be a fire component in a barrier seal? Unless it was tied into a defensive component, which that seal does **not** have.’_

The boy placed his hand over the seal, clearly intending to test it out. Just as chakra built up in his palm, the dots connected and Hikari’s eyes widened.

_‘Uh oh.’_

Hikari jumped from the tree, faster than she thought her younger body could manage. Her right arm was outstretched, reaching for the boy while she molded chakra in her left. She had just grasped the back of the boy’s shirt when he activated the seal and he tensed in shock, both at the hand on his back and the flames that had sprung up from the seal.

“Damn it!”

Biting off any more curses, Hikari used her grasp on the boy’s shirt to throw him away towards the edge of the clearing. Absently noting that he might have actually gotten away safely even without her interference -the kid had great reflexes, proved by the way he had already used the force of her throw to twist his body to land on his feet- the redhead wrenched moisture from the air, her chakra making up for what was lacking.

Hikari slammed her palm on the remnants of the seal, water pouring out from the point of impact and extinguishing the flames before they could grow. She stared dispassionately at the burnt grass in front of her for a moment then stood up, whirling around to yell at the kid. Before she could get a word out though, her mouth snapped shut as her brain processed just who was in front of her.

A young wide-eyed Uchiha boy stared back at her, just as surprised.

 _‘Of course it had to be Itachi_. _’_

* * *

Itachi stared at the girl who had thrown him away from the minor explosion, her red hair getting his attention first.

_‘Is this the girl Shisui mentioned?’_

She was young as he was, perhaps even younger. Itachi backed away a little; the girl might have helped him out but he hadn’t even sensed her coming. The redhead spun around, her hair whipping through the air like a blaze of fire because of the movement.

Her expression indicated that she was about to yell at him but she faltered when she met his gaze. Her eyes were a bright blue, like the sky, just as Shisui had described. There was a flicker of surprise and shock in them for a moment, then was replaced by fury.

“What the hell were you thinking?!”

Itachi blinked when the girl exploded at him, hands on her hips as she glared at him. He tilted his head to the side, wondering just why she was mad at him.

Blue eyes narrowed and she demanded, “Did you make that seal?”

“...no.”

“So you bought it, from where, the shinobi supplies store? Did you even check it properly?”

“Hn.”

A crimson eyebrow twitched in annoyance and the two children held a stare-down, neither averting their gaze.

However, it was broken by a shrill cry.

“Itachi!”

A dark blur dropped down from the trees and landed in front of him. Shisui grabbed his shoulders, shaking him, “Are you alright?! I heard an explosion!”

“I’m fine.”

“Really? Nothing? No burns, no bruises or anything?”

Itachi shook his head in the negative; the girl had tossed him away from the seal before the flames even licked his skin. Speaking of the girl...

Looking over his friend’s shoulder, he saw the redhead shaking her head and dragging a hand over her face.

“What are you looking at?” Shisui questioned curiously, turning around to follow the younger boy’s line of sight. Familiar red hair and pale skin came into view, the Jounin startling at the presence of the girl. He hadn’t sensed anyone other than Itachi in the clearing.

There was a glint of recognition in cerulean depths when those bright eyes landed on the older boy’s face and Shisui grinned in delight, “Hi, cute stranger! We meet again!”

The redhead let out a strangled noise, “ _Cute?!_ ”

Itachi held back a sigh at his friend’s exuberance and eyed the girl, who looked a moment away from stabbing Shisui and being done with it. The Uchiha Clan Heir didn’t make a move though, content to wait and see how things played out.

“That’s it,” the girl stated, twitching a little. “I’m out of here.”

Shisui panicked; he’d been looking for the girl ever since he and Itachi had decided to get to know her but had been met with failure. He wasn’t going to give up now that she was finally here.

“Wait! I just want to be friends! My name is Uchiha Shisui! What’s yours?”

Hikari was ready to call the events of the past few minutes as momentary insanity and just leave the two Uchiha when the older boy called out to her.

She was going to ignore him and walk away when what he had just said registered in her mind; she froze mid-turn, rewinding the statement.

_“Did he just say that his name is Shisui...?”_

Kurama was cackling with glee at his Jinchuuriki’s distress, highly entertained by the things that only seemed to happen around her.

_“...Kurama?”_

**_“Bwahaha, he did!”_ **

_“Like in Shisui, who had Kotoamatsukami?”_

Hikari’s voice was a mere whisper by the last word and she looked like she was about to faint.

Her only reply was more laughter.

Uchiha Shisui, loyal to Konoha, the first Uchiha victim of Danzo and more importantly, the older brother/cousin whom Itachi had loved very much.

_“I can’t leave now, can I?”_

**_“Why not?”_ **

_“Can’t let Danzo screw him over again.”_

With what sensing ability Hikari still retained, she could tell that the curly haired boy’s chakra was not like most of his clan; it was bubbly and warm, much like a comforting fire, which was actually rather nice.

 _“How do I always get into these situations?”_ she complained loudly in her mindscape as she threw her arms up in exasperation, already resigned to interacting with the Uchiha duo.

 ** _“Like I said, you attract them,”_** Kurama deadpanned, before being reduced to laughter again.

Mentally shoving the fox to the back of her mind and ignoring his cackles, Hikari turned back to face a hopeful Shisui with a sigh. She managed a genuine smile, unable to resist; the boy acted like a puppy craving for attention.

“Uzumaki Hikari,” she said, holding out a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Shisui beamed, taking her hand and giving a single firm shake. “So you really are an Uzumaki!”

“I am...why?”

Chuckling sheepishly at the suspicious look Hikari shot him, he replied, “No real reason; we were just curious about you.”

“Huh...”

Itachi stepped up next to Shisui, staring at the girl with a blank expression. “Uchiha Itachi,” he said, voice flat and inflectionless.

“I know,” the redhead shot back, amused. “This guy already called out your name,” she added, pointing at a grinning Shisui.

There was silence in the clearing for a while; none of them knew what to say. Shisui finally broke it, dark eyes spotting the burnt patch of grass. “What happened here, Itachi?”

The Uchiha heir also glanced at the spot and replied quietly, “A faulty barrier seal.”

A loud snort sounded behind them and the boys turned to look at Hikari who had a disbelieving expression trained on Itachi. “Faulty? The one who made that seal either knows nothing about Fuuinjutsu or made it that way on purpose.”

“How do you say that?” Shisui asked, intrigued.

“You don’t tie a fire component to a barrier which doesn’t have a defensive component,” Hikari explained. Itachi, who seemed contemplative till then, spoke up, “It is as you said.”

“Huh?”

“I bought it from the shinobi supplies store,” Itachi explained. His fists were clenched, Hikari noted. _‘Looks like he isn’t quite so emotionally withdrawn yet.’_

Shisui placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder; he too was angry. The store in Konoha always sold only authentic stuff and for them to sell a botched seal meant that it was most likely done on purpose.

“Did you buy any other seals?” Hikari’s question was abrupt, distracting both boys effectively from their darkening thoughts.

“I did. Why?”

She held out a hand, “Let me take a look at them. Not all of them might be messed up.”

Itachi’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why would you do that, Uzumaki-san? You don’t even know us.”

Hikari merely raised an eyebrow and huffed, “I helped you without even knowing you, not that I think you needed it. But you clearly have no knowledge of Fuuinjutsu and your hitai-ate tells me that you’re a shinobi of Konoha. No way am I letting an active shinobi go out with faulty seals.”

“I think we can trust her, Itachi,” Shisui hurriedly cut in. “She helped me out that day, remember? Actually... _why_ did you do that?”

“Call me Hikari,” the redhead waved a hand dismissively. “You seemed like a nice enough person and I don’t care for rumours. It’s stupid how people treat others based on suspicion.” She scowled, recalling how she herself had been treated back in her dimension and also at Naruto’s situation.

The boys let the words wash over them, picking them apart for any lie or deceit. When they found none, their tense postures relaxed. Shisui started grinning widely again and Itachi even managed a small smile.

The Uzumaki blinked in confusion, not quite sure what she had said to gain those reactions. But it did serve to strengthen her resolve to protect them both from Danzo.

Itachi pulled out a stack of papers from his hip pouch and held it out towards the girl. Hikari took them, eyes already scanning the first seal. She flopped down to sit on the grass, waving at both boys to join her.

Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances then sat down in front of her. “Uzumaki-san,” Itachi started, quickly changing his words when the redhead glared at him, “Hikari-san, may I ask something?”

“Sure, but drop the honorific. I hate formalities.”

“You’re right in front of us, but I can’t sense you at all. Why?”

Shisui looked interested in the answer too, “Is it some type of seal? Your chakra is way too hidden.”

Hikari stared at them blankly for a moment then slapped her forehead. “Right, my seals are still active,” she murmured. Extending her left arm, she tapped the back of the hand with the index finger of her right hand, sending a pulse of chakra into the limb.

“These are chakra suppression and perception seals,” she said, indicating to the two glowing blue circles that appeared on her skin. “I tend to keep them on when I’m alone. Force of habit, sorry.”

The boys understood; they knew that the Uzumaki were hunted down by many people for their skills and someone with her chakra reserves would be a beacon to any sensors.

To their astonishment, the glowing seals shattered and they were able to feel her chakra. It was denser than anything they had ever felt, but not in an oppressive way. It was beautiful and bright, cocooning them in a layer of warmth and comfort.

“Your chakra is really nice, Hikari-chan,” Shisui murmured in a daze, causing the redhead to flush and pull back her chakra a little. “Sorry. It always flows over when I release the seals. Anyway,” Hikari cleared her throat in embarrassment and gestured to the stack of papers, “back to these seals.”

She laid out one on the ground, “This is the same as the one Itachi was testing.” Pointing to the bottom right quadrant, she explained, “Barrier seals like this are just made to keep people out. The fire kanji is out of place and not tied to any particular component. That’s why it exploded when chakra was poured into it.”

“So if it wasn’t that kanji wasn’t there, it would be a normal barrier seal?” Itachi asked with interest. He had minimal knowledge of Fuuinjutsu; there wasn’t much material on the subject in the Uchiha or Konoha’s public libraries and it was stalling his efforts to learn.

“Yeah, just like this one,” Hikari pulled out an identical seal from the stack in her lap. It didn’t have the extra component in it. “Not all of the seals here are messed up. Whoever sold them to you didn’t want to raise suspicion by giving you completely faulty products.”

She held out the intact barrier seals to Itachi who carefully put them back. Shisui plucked one sheet of paper from Hikari’s stack and peered at it, “What about this one, Hikari-chan?”

“Hmm?”

The redhead took a quick glance at the seal and shook her head. “That one is _supposed_ to act like a tripwire, causing an explosion when foreign chakra passes it when it is active. Useful for ambushes.” She jabbed at a line that crossed the top quadrants, “However, this line destroys the purpose; no matter how much chakra you pour into it, it won’t activate. You would just be wasting chakra.”

Itachi stared at the Uzumaki as she deftly separated the seals into two piles, useful and not. “Are you a Seal Master?” he asked abruptly, derailing the conversation she was having with Shisui.

“I guess you could say that,” Hikari answered with a faint smile, an odd look in her eyes. “There’s no one around to verify my level anyway.”

“Wait, really?” Shisui appeared to be in disbelief. “You don’t look older than Itachi!”

Hikari rolled her eyes, amused at the protest. If she were her younger self, she would have taken offense and stormed off. As she was now, she simply felt the urge to laugh. “I’m seven years old.”

The older Uchiha’s jaw dropped in shock, making her eye him with interest. _‘He’s way more open with his emotions than I expected.’_

Shisui regained his composure, muttering, “Unbelievable. Another prodigy.”

 _‘I’m not,’_ Hikari thought with an internal grin. _‘I’m just older than I look.’_ Actually, if she thought about it, she _could_ be considered a genius in Fuuinjutsu. For all that she had hated reading, Fuuinjutsu had come easily to her.

A loud growl ripped through the clearing, making the younger children blink and turn to Shisui. He looked embarrassed, holding his stomach. “Sorry...I had to skip breakfast because I had a debrief to get to and haven’t eaten anything since then.”

Hikari couldn’t help it, she started laughing. The only Uchiha she had ever known were Sasuke, older Itachi and Obito. None of them were much for emotions, too used to either raging at the world or keeping everything in.

Shisui was like a fresh breath of air when compared to them. He was also someone she had never gotten the chance to know in her dimension, which made it easy to face him. Surprisingly, Hikari didn’t have difficulties with younger Itachi either, despite having fought alongside him briefly. Maybe because he looked so lighter without the burden of his clan’s downfall and Sasuke’s defection to Orochimaru weighing on his shoulders.

Hikari planned to keep it that way.

Finally managing to reduce her laughter to giggles, Hikari grinned at Shisui’s highly exaggerated affronted expression and Itachi’s quiet smile. She shook back her right sleeve, revealing a thin silver bracelet engraved with tiny seals. Channelling a drop of chakra into one of the seals, a box appeared in her hand.

Hikari smiled at the astonished expressions, shifting the box to her left hand and extended the arm with the bracelet towards Itachi when she caught him trying to look at it. The boy hesitantly took her wrist, peering at the seals etched into the metal. “Storage seals?” he asked, recognizing some of the patterns.

“Yeah,” the girl nodded and continued, correctly interpreting the next question. “I can put my chakra suppression and perception seals on the bracelet too but they’re more effective if I place them directly on my skin. It’s because I have more chakra than most.”

She pulled her hand back and opened the box she had unsealed. A delicious smell wafted through the air, making Shisui’s mouth water. Hikari noticed his stare and grinned, holding the box out. It was sectioned into three parts; there were different types of dango in each section: mitarashi, hanami and matcha.

“Have some, Shisui,” Hikari offered, placing the box between her and the boys. “I made them this morning.”

The older boy brightened, picking one of the matcha dango skewers and biting into it. “It’s so good! Thanks, Hikari-chan! Itachi, you should try it too.”

“I...”

Itachi hesitated, eyes flickering to the box of dango and away and then back again.

Hikari stifled a laugh, _‘So cute.’_

Knowing that the Clan Heir had a sweet tooth, she took one of the skewers of hanami dango and held it out to him with a smile. “Here you go, Itachi.”

The boy slowly took it from her, whispering a quiet ‘thanks’. His wide-eyed expression when he finally took a bite was adorable; Shisui laughed at the faint blush that spread across Itachi’s cheeks and poked him, earning an irritated swat.

Hikari watched as the two boys steadily demolished the box of dango, Shisui teasing the Clan Heir while Itachi tried to hide a pout. She didn’t miss how he stretched for another skewer, unprompted.

 _‘No matter what, I’ll protect you,’_ Hikari thought with determination. She already liked Shisui and Itachi was a given from the start, not just because of his connection to Sasuke. _‘I’ll tear Danzo to pieces myself if I have to.’_

Two more people were added to her list of precious people that afternoon, making the total count five. _‘Naruto, Kakashi-nii and Jiji, now Shisui and Itachi. I will protect your happiness.’_

* * *

Naruto stared out the window, watching the snow drift down from the dull sky. He thought it looked really pretty and wanted to play in it. But Hikari-nee had told him not to go out without her and Kashi-nii wasn’t around at the moment.

“Naru-chan, what’s wrong?”

Hikari came over to stand next to him, a scroll open in her hands. One hand moved to rest on his head, ruffling his hair gently. “You look sad.”

“Can we go out?”

The redhead took a double take at the despondent tone and she dropped the scroll in favour of kneeling next to the toddler. “Are you feeling lonely in the house?”

Naruto nodded, blue eyes teary. “Nee-san and Nii-san are here...but outside is pretty.” He turned back to stare longingly at the falling snow.

Rising up smoothly, the girl rolled up the scroll and wrapped one arm around the child in a half-hug. _‘I guess we have been cooped up in here for too long. We haven’t gone out since the snow started.’_

After her meeting with Shisui and Itachi over a month ago, Hikari hadn’t gone out much except to place her Hiraishin markers or occasionally hang out with the Uchiha, who had somehow convinced her to teach them Fuuinjutsu.

During all those times, Naruto had been left in the house with a clone or Kakashi and she understood that the kid wanted to get out for a little while. He didn’t really want to go into the village though, so....

Hikari sighed, pulling the blond close to her and pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. “Let’s go out for a walk then. We can explore the forest, Naru-chan.”

“Really? Yay!”

Naruto let out a cheerful yell and jumped in joy. The redhead chuckled at the display and waved him off, “Put on a scarf and jacket. We’ll leave in ten minutes.”

Zipping off as soon as she said that, Naruto dashed into his room and flung himself at the closet. He pulled out a box that Hikari had given him when it had started getting colder and opened it. Inside were a dark orange jacket and a fluffy black scarf, perfect for winter.

He took the jacket and put it on, grabbing the scarf before shoving the box back into the closet. Slamming the door closed, Naruto skipped down the stairs to the living room where Hikari was already waiting for him.

Hikari was wearing a thick white full-sleeved sweater over her usual black shorts; a sleek black coat was thrown over her left arm. She chuckled when Naruto held out his scarf to her, taking it and wrapping it around his neck snugly.

“Nee-san wear scarf too!”

“Aww, but Naru-chan, my coat covers my neck too! See?” To demonstrate the fact, she tugged on the coat and zipped it, all the way up to her neck. Naruto giggled and nodded in approval, raising his arms. “Up!”

Hikari obliged, carrying him to the door and somehow wrangling both their shoes onto their feet with one hand. She stepped out the door, activating the seal to lock the house.

A chilly wind blew through the air, ruffling both children’s hair but not bothering them in any way. The female Uzumaki didn’t head towards the village; instead she turned around to walk into the forest behind their house.

It was slightly colder in the forest but not quite so windy; Hikari walked slowly, Naruto on her hip as he stared wide-eyed at the white covered trees. They soon reached a place where the snow had fallen thickly and it crunched under her feet.

The little blond was fascinated by the sound and demanded to be let down, stumbling a little on the snow as soon as he was set on his feet. Naruto wasn’t deterred though and soon he got the hang of it. He ran around, trying to catch the snowflakes as they floated gently in the air.

Hikari let her mind wander, keeping only part of her attention on the little blond running about. The negotiations for the treaty with Kumo were right on schedule and it was to be signed on Hinata’s birthday. Just like in her dimension, the Hyuuga had offered to house the Kumo representative.

 _‘Everything’s the same, yet why do I feel so nervous?’_ the redhead thought in frustration. It was one of the reasons she had for not leaving the house recently. Shisui and Itachi were still in the dark about her origins and she planned to keep it that way for as long as possible. Hikari didn’t know if she would slip up and mention something to the boys to raise their suspicions.

_‘There’s only a week left...my Hiraishin markers are in place and I know all possible routes from the Hyuuga compound that the Kumo nin might take...’_

She was more prepared than she had ever been for any mission and still she was nervous and jittery.

“Nee-san! Deer!”

“That’s nice, Naru-chan,” Hikari murmured absently, thoughts still elsewhere. It wasn’t until something vaguely round and cold bumped into her hand that she realized what Naruto had said.

_‘Deer?!’_

Indeed there were deer surrounding both her and Naruto, the older ones looking large and regal. A couple of fawns were prancing around the toddler, making him giggle as he reached out to pat them clumsily.

“I’m on Nara territory,” Hikari whispered, horrified. Her Shikamaru had told her long ago that anyone who entered the Nara Clan Forest without permission would be attacked by the deer.

It was this warning that made her tense, blue eyes flickering to Naruto. A wrong move would upset the deer into attacking and she didn’t want to harm them, but she couldn’t let the blond be hurt either.

_‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!’_

Hikari was angry at herself, for allowing her mind to wander so far that she lost track of where she was going. Now her carelessness had led her into this pickle.

Something pushed at her knees and the redhead stiffened further, looking down. The sight that met her threw her off-balance. A fawn was staring at her, brown eyes wide and curious.

A doe next to her grunted, nudging her arm until she placed her hand on the fawn’s head. _‘A male fawn,’_ Hikari thought distantly; the little nubs she could feel on the animal’s head told her so.

_‘What on earth is happening?’_

None of the deer around her seemed inclined to attack her, simply watching her and Naruto silently. Some of them even approached, butting their heads against her gently. The toddler was totally oblivious to the situation, playing happily with the fawns.

Suddenly, the deer shifted, parting to give way to a large deer. _‘This must be the Alpha doe,’_ Hikari mused with consternation. There were many young around the humans and if the doe decided that they were enemies, it would end up in a full-out battle.

The doe slowly moved to stand in front of the tense redhead, her intelligent brown eyes assessing the human girl. Hikari didn’t dare to move, not with Naruto’s safety on the line.

A sharp snort cut through the thick silence followed by a yell that made the girl’s heart leap into her throat. No longer caring about her own safety, Hikari darted away from the doe and ran towards Naruto; a large stag had picked him up by the collar and tossed him up into the air.

“Naru-chan!”

Hikari cried out in alarm and jumped, snatching the toddler and flying over the stag to land in a crouch. She pressed the precious bundle close to her chest and stared at the deer herd around her.

 _‘None of my Hiraishin markers are in range,’_ Hikari cursed, gritting her teeth in annoyance. She had avoided marking the Nara Clan Forest out of respect for the deer and now it was coming back to bite her.

Smoothly rising to her feet in one quick movement, she kept her eyes on the deer while also looking for escape routes. Shuffling sounds caught her attention and Hikari shifted her gaze to the Alpha doe, who was gazing at her...in approval?

“Hey!”

Hikari yelped as something caught her by the back of her coat and tossed her up into the air. She instinctively closed her eyes and tightened her arms around Naruto, hoping against hope that nothing happened to him.

She landed on something soft and furry; Hikari slowly opened her eyes, freezing in shock when she realized she was on the back of the stag that had picked up Naruto. The Alpha doe was also next to her, watching her with those keen eyes.

With a snort, the doe trudged deeper into the forest and the stag followed her, carrying the two Uzumaki children on his back.

“Awesome! The deer are cool, nee-san!” Naruto yelled brightly, completely and utterly oblivious to the possible danger he just been in. He leaned a little out of Hikari’s hold, burying his little hands into the warm fur of the deer carrying them.

A strangled noise of agreement was all Hikari could manage, still befuddled by the strange actions of the Nara deer.

Time passed by, the herd taking the children deeper and deeper into the forest. Hikari had recovered by then and chose to just let things happen, knowing that she couldn’t run away. Judging by the direction they were moving in, she realized that they were heading towards the Nara Compound.

Her judgement was proven correct when two chakra signatures entered the range of her senses, one more familiar than the other.

“Aw, hell.”

* * *

Shikaku stared into the depths of the forest near his home, mind whirring faster than the speed of light. The negotiations with Kumo were setting him on edge, some of the terms stated in the treaty not sitting right with him.

To his consternation, the Sandaime had felt the same way but had allowed it to happen when he had realized that he could do nothing to change it.

The Nara had a bad feeling about the upcoming treaty but couldn’t put his finger on the exact reason. Yoshino had gotten tired of his moping in the house and had chased him out to herd the deer.

 _‘Troublesome,’_ Shikaku thought, staring up at the few patches of dull skies he could see through the trees. _‘I have no idea what is going to happen.’_

A rather strong tug to his ponytail made him wince and his thoughts derailed. His three year old son had tagged along when Shikaku headed into the forest and was now perched on his shoulder, playing with his hair.

He didn’t tell the boy to stop though, continuing to stare up at the sky.

“Dad,” Shikamaru’s voice sounded in his ear and the Nara Head blinked at the odd ring to his son’s voice.

“What’s wrong, Shikamaru?”

“The deer are acting weird.”

It was true; there were more deer around the pair than there had been less than ten minutes ago. Some of them had settled under the trees while a few were staring into the distance, as if waiting for something.

 _‘Or someone,’_ Shikaku corrected himself when he felt two chakra signatures heading slowly in his direction. He didn’t recognize either of them but wasn’t too concerned. If they had been enemies, then the deer would have attacked them, not wait for them expectantly.

A thin, dark eyebrow rose in surprise when both the Alpha doe and stag came into sight. Neither of them ever left the deepest parts of the Nara Forest, not even for the Clan Head, unless it was very, very important.

There were flashes of crimson behind the stag and Shikaku’s eyes widened; there was someone on the animal’s back. All of the Nara deer were prideful and to allow someone to ride them meant that the deer respected him or her greatly.

 _‘It’s her,’_ the Nara Clan Head realized, connecting the crimson to the Uzumaki girl, Hikari. When the pair of deer was just a few feet away from the two Nara, the stag lowered himself to the ground and allowed the girl to slide off his back.

The Uzumaki’s every movement was graceful as she slipped to the ground, arms reaching up to grab a bundle of orange and black from the stag’s back. “Thank you,” she told the two deer, sounding amused and mildly tense. “Although I don’t know why you brought us here.”

 _’Oh? She’s not alone?’_ Just as the thought crossed Shikaku’s mind, a mop of sunshine blond popped out of the bundle in the girl’s arm with a giggle. He belatedly realized that it was Minato’s son.

“Nee-san! Deer are awesome!”

The blond - _Naruto_ \- chirped cheerfully, earning a hair ruffle from the girl.

“I’m sure,” she agreed with a fond smile, chuckling when the doe licked her cheek and proceeded to do the same to Naruto. “They’re leaving now, so say bye, Naru-chan.”

“Bye bye, deer-san!” the toddler yelled, waving both arms energetically at the retreating forms of the two animals.

It was only after the Alpha deer disappeared from sight that the redhead turned to face him, silently shifting to stand in front of Naruto. She needn’t have bothered, really; the moment Naruto noticed the adult, he squeaked in fear and sought shelter behind her, tiny hands digging into her bare legs.

Shikaku had to make an effort to not glare, instead minutely tightening his grip on his son’s waist. He understood that response; it was the reaction of a child who did not trust and clearly feared an adult.

“Nara-sama.”

The redhead’s tone of voice was stiff and wary but he saw no fear in her clear blue eyes. Shikaku inclined his head in greeting.

“Uzumaki-san.”

“I apologize for being in the Nara Forest uninvited, Nara-sama. I was not aware of the boundary and unknowingly crossed it,” she bowed, her long twintails slipping off her shoulders as she did so.

“Maa, it’s fine,” Shikaku waved off the apology. “The deer didn’t attack you; consider that your invitation.”

Hikari raised her head, nodded hesitantly when she realized that he was being honest. To his growing curiosity, she didn’t look uncomfortable at all; rather, she seemed at ease, as if she thought that Shikaku wouldn’t hurt her or was confident enough to not allow it.

Personally, Shikaku considered it a bit of both.

On his shoulder, Shikamaru shifted and leaned to the right, only his father’s hold on him preventing him from falling off. He was craning his neck, trying to get a glimpse of the kid hiding behind the girl.

“Who are they?” the little Nara questioned, curiosity bubbling in his voice. He had never seen someone with red hair or with that shade of yellow. Ino had yellow hair too, but hers wasn’t as bright as the hiding boy.

Blue eyes flickered away from Shikaku’s face to focus on the dark haired toddler and Shikaku watched as a small smile appeared on Hikari’s face. He didn’t know what to make of the nostalgic light that shone in her gaze.

“Naru-chan,” the redhead murmured, pulling the child out from hiding. He refused to come out completely though, only leaning a little to the side and peeking out from behind her legs. “It’s okay; they’re friends.”

“Like Jiji and Kashi-nii?”

Shikaku raised an eyebrow at the nicknames; he didn’t get any explanations but could make his own conclusions.

“Yes. Come on, say hi.”

Naruto waved one hand shyly, not looking at Shikaku for long but instead watching the younger Nara with wide, curious blue eyes.

For his part, Shikamaru tugged on his father’s hair insistently. “Put me down, dad,” he demanded. The Nara Head was bemused; his son had never sounded so awake, not even with Chouji and Ino. He did as asked though, setting his son down carefully on the snow covered ground.

Hikari lowered herself into a crouch as the dark haired child approached, smiling warmly. “Hello, I’m Hikari. Nice to meet you.”

“...Shikamaru,” the little kid said in reply, dark eyes lingering on her hair for a bit before shifting to Naruto. “Is he your brother?”

“Yes,” her smile grew wider as she pulled Naruto in front of her. This time, he came easily, his attention on the other child. “His name is Naruto. Naru-chan, this is Shikamaru.”

The little blond blinked up at her, hands fisting into the sleeve of her coat. When she didn’t say anything else, Naruto looked back to the little Nara, uncertain but also a little hopeful.

“Hello, Shika...?”

“Hi, Naru. Want to play?” Shikamaru offered, holding out his hand.

The blond child brightened, beaming like the summer sun and nodding furiously. “Yeah!”

Naruto glanced at Hikari, as if asking for permission. When the redhead’s smile only widened, he took Shikamaru’s hand and let himself be dragged towards the herd of deer.

“Don’t go too far!” Hikari called out, waving when Naruto shouted an affirmative. She turned towards the other Nara, Shikaku staring in the direction the kids had gone with a fond expression.

The redhead sighed, making the Nara look at her. “I assume you want to talk to me.”

“You’re quite the sharp one, Uzumaki-san.”

Hikari scoffed a little. “It’s obvious by your expression, Nara-sama. Before we start, mind if I sit up there?” she said, gesturing to a relatively low branch that hung just above the man’s head.

Shikaku aimed a calculative stare at her. He spoke in a lazy tone, not betraying any of his thoughts, “The deer will protect them. After all, they seem to have taken a liking to you both.”

“I know that,” she shot back easily. “Just humour my paranoid self, Nara-sama.”

“Maa, troublesome,” the man groaned, leaning back against the trunk of the tree Hikari had indicated. “Do as you like, Uzumaki-san. And it’s Shikaku.”

Permission granted, the redhead easily leapt up onto the branch to his left and settled comfortably. “Then it’s Hikari, Shikaku-san.”

The Nara snorted, a little confused at the level of ease the young girl displayed in his presence. Even seasoned shinobi held themselves stiffly in front of him, their Jounin Commander. Not to mention most of the simpering civilians.

A glimmer of silver caught his eye and Shikaku frowned at the engravings on the thin metal wrapped around the girl’s right wrist. “Are those seals?”

Hikari followed his gaze to her bracelet and nodded. “Yeah. They’re just storage seals and a low level barrier seal. Want to have a look?”

“If you don’t mind.”

The redhead unclipped the ornament from her wrist and held it out to the Nara, who took it gingerly. He held it up, squinting at the tiny seals. _‘I’ve only seen fine work like this from one person,’_ Shikaku mused, turning the bracelet this way and that to analyze all the seals. _‘No blacksmith in Konoha is capable of engraving such minuscule details into a thin strip of metal.’_

Handing the bracelet back to the girl and watching her clip it back on, Shikaku asked, “Did you make it yourself?”

“Yeah, I don’t trust anyone else with delicate work like this.”

“I see. Then I can safely assume that you’re behind the improved storage seals and explosion tags Sandaime-sama is providing the Jounin.”

“Yeah!” the Uzumaki smirked and in that moment Shikaku could see another Uzumaki woman superimposed over the girl’s face. They were so identical that it was almost eerie. “Although Jiji hasn’t told me what the response from the shinobi is.”

Shikaku cleared his throat, willing the ghosts of the past to disappear. “I can assure you that they’re quite popular, Hikari. Most of them are almost willing to hound Sandaime-sama until he provides more.”

Hikari beamed, clearly proud of her work.

Silence fell, only broken by the occasional yell from the children playing in the distance and the deer moving about.

The Nara took the time to study the Uzumaki, who didn’t care for his critical gaze; her eyes were trained on the blond child, tracking his every movement carefully.

Her skin was pale, not quite on the side of unhealthy but not tanned either. Long and silky red hair was tied up into twintails with simple elastic bands, messy bangs falling over her forehead. Shikaku could see glimpses of Uzumaki Kushina in the shape of her chin and nose.

The colour and shape of her eyes were different, though.

If it weren’t for those differences, Shikaku would have thought that Kushina had come back from the grave in her child form.

“Done staring at me, Shikaku-san?”

* * *

Hikari watched with no little amusement as Shikaku blinked at her sudden question, coming back to reality. She could tell that he was looking for clues: her skill in Fuuinjutsu clearly reminded him of Minato and her appearance of Kushina.

 _‘I wonder if he’ll come to the right conclusion,’_ she thought. It would be no surprise if he did, but Hikari would also not be shocked if he didn’t.

Time travel and dimension hopping really didn’t fall into the realm of normal.

“How is Naruto-kun?”

The abrupt question cut across her wandering thoughts and Hikari raised an eyebrow at the randomness of it. “I’d say he’s fine but I also don’t know exactly what you’re asking for, Shikaku-san.”

“I know he was thrown out by the orphanage,” Shikaku clarified with an internal wince. He did wonder how a newcomer to Konoha such as Hikari had known about Naruto but he wasn’t too concerned. Her loyalty to the village wasn’t a question, considering the fact that the Hokage trusted her.

Shikaku was well aware that they were hiding something huge and he clearly intended to find out in his own time. But for now...

“Where did you find him? Sandaime-sama never revealed that.”

Hikari’s face darkened, a murderous shadow falling over her features. “Ah, that,” she murmured lowly. “He was in the Red Light District. He had been there for five days.”

She didn’t mention how he had been when she and Kakashi had found him, knowing that Shikaku could figure that out for himself.

Said man paled a little and his hands clenched into fists of their own accord. No wonder the Hokage had been so mad at the former civilian representative.

“I see...” Shikaku glanced towards the little blond tumbling in the snow with his own son, feeling pain and regret for not checking on Minato’s child. Looking at the happy countenance of the boy, he realized that the girl next to him had played a huge part in his recovery.

Shikaku had noticed the way Naruto clung to the girl, looking for approval and assurance. He apparently didn’t trust adults, hinting towards neglect and/or abuse. Only after Hikari had pulled him forward had he relaxed in the presence of the two Nara.

“Thank you, Hikari,” Shikaku spoke, voice heavy with gratitude.

However, Hikari shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. Her eyes dimmed and at that instant, she looked much smaller and younger. Sage, just how old was she?

“It shouldn’t have been necessary, Shikaku-san.”

If the Nara had held any doubts about whether Hikari was just using Naruto for her own benefit, they were all washed away at her words. There was deep bitterness in her voice, speaking of pain and sorrow.

Shikaku wondered if the girl knew exactly _who_ and _what_ Uzumaki Naruto was, if she knew why the villagers treated him so poorly. But he also knew that it didn’t matter; the pure love shining in her eyes when she glanced at the child told him that Hikari wouldn’t care.

She loved Naruto for himself.

“Nevertheless, thank you.”

Hikari nodded, slowly uncurling to retake her former position. In an attempt to lift some of the desolate atmosphere, Shikaku asked something he wanted to confirm. “Naruto-kun mentioned ‘Jiji’ and ‘Kashi-nii’. Who are they?”

That brought a smile to the girl’s face, accomplishing Shikaku’s goal. “Ah, Jiji is the Hokage and Kashi-nii is Kakashi-nii.”

“Kakashi,” Shikaku repeated flatly. “As in _Hatake Kakashi_?”

“I don’t know any other Kakashi,” Hikari retorted with amusement.

“Huh. Didn’t expect that.”

It wasn’t like Shikaku hadn’t thought about it but it was still hard to comprehend. He knew very well that the young Hatake had been wasting himself away in ANBU, taking on multiple suicide missions. He had also absolutely refused to take care of his sensei’s son and had stayed away.

 _‘Now I know why Hatake has been taking all the village patrols lately. It gives him an excuse to stay with Naruto-kun.’_ Shikaku stared at the female Uzumaki with renewed interest. _‘I wonder how Hikari managed that.’_

“I think it’s about time we left, Shikaku-san,” Hikari said, peering up at the darkening sky. The snow was coming down harder and it would only be a matter of time before it got too dark.

Shikaku nodded in agreement, snorting with amusement when the girl jumped up to stand on the branch and cupped her hands around her mouth to shout, “Naru-chan! Time to go!”

Naruto pouted in disappointment when he heard Hikari call for him; he didn’t want to stop playing with his new friend yet. He looked at the other boy; Shikamaru was dusting off some snow from his clothes. He looked up when he noticed the stare.

“Let’s go, Naru.”

“Aww...okay, Shika.”

The two children returned to the spot where their respective family members were waiting for them, holding hands along the way. Naruto ran to his sister the moment she came into view, leaving Shikamaru to trudge towards his father.

“Nee-san, stay longer please?”

Hikari laughed at the pleading gaze of the little blond and bopped his nose affectionately. “Perhaps some other time, Naru-chan. It’s getting dark and I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“Why don’t you stay for dinner, Hikari? Yoshino would love to have you both,” Shikaku offered, hoisting his son on his hip. Besides, he had more questions he wanted answers to and he could get them by observing the Uzumaki children.

As if reading his mind, the redhead raised an eyebrow at him. “Another time, Shikaku-san,” she said, declining the invitation. “Besides, no matter how much Naruto protests, he’s actually tired out.”

It was the truth; the little blond was a little unsteady on his feet, as if the effects of playing for hours had finally caught up to him. He was better than Shikamaru though, who was already halfway to sleep.

Shikaku chuckled, letting the matter go. “Alright then. Another time,” he said the words like a promise, a glint of something unreadable in his dark eyes. “Have a safe trip back, Hikari, Naruto-kun.”

The redhead gave a nod of farewell, turning in the direction the deer had brought them in. Naruto raised his head over her shoulder, blue eyes glancing back to the two Nara.

“Bye, Shika,” he called to his friend, grinning sleepily when Shikamaru waved a lazy hand at him and buried his face into Hikari’s hair. The day had been a lot of fun and he was tired out.

Shikaku watched the two children leave, wondering if he should follow them back to ensure they returned safely. He knew that there were no ANBU watching over them, proved by the fact that the children had wandered into the Nara Forest.

 _‘Either Sandaime-sama removed their ANBU guard or they were never there in the first place,’_ he mused as he headed towards the Nara Compound. _‘It’s been over two months since Hikari arrived; perhaps Hatake and Tenzo were only assigned for a short while.’_

It was likely that the two ANBU were on duty just for show, so that the Council was appeased and didn’t dig deeper. The treaty with Kumogakure had provided a distraction and Shikaku was sure that most of the Council had forgotten about the girl’s existence.

“Dad?”

“What is it?”

“Can I play with Naru again?”

To say that Shikaku was surprised would be an understatement; Shikamaru didn’t ever take an interest in others. For him to say that...

“Do you like Naruto-kun that much?”

Shikamaru yawned, resting his head on his father’s shoulder. “Hmm....he’s bright, more than Ino and Chouji. His sister too...she’s pretty.”

Shikaku snorted. _’Pretty is an understatement,’_ he thought with an amused grin. _‘Boys will be lining up at her door when she’s older.’_

Outwardly, he said, “Sure, Shikamaru. I’ll see if you can go to their house one day.”

It would be hours later, when he was about to go to bed that he would realize where he had seen eyes like hers before.

“...what the hell?” Shikaku murmured, brow furrowed in confusion. He stared at the Hokage Mountain, specifically at the Yondaime. “Why does Hikari have your eyes, Minato?”

* * *

Six days later, Hikari sat on the roof of a tall building. Blue eyes stared dispassionately at the three Kumo-nin, the main focus of the parade heading towards the Hokage Tower.

The Head Shinobi of Kumogakure stood at the helm, flanked by his two subordinates. All of them stood straight, pride and superiority in their features.

 _‘No doubt they think they’ve already won,’_ Hikari thought with a brief flash of disgust. She may have fought alongside the current Raikage, Ay, in the war against Kaguya and Zetsu but that didn’t mean total forgiveness. She would never condone the underhanded means he had used against Konoha.

Hikari watched as the Clan Council headed by Hiruzen greeted the Kumo shinobi, memorizing the trio’s chakra signatures.

 _‘If you dare to go through with your plan, I will strike you down,’_ she thought viciously, fingers digging into the material of her pants. _‘Not on my watch.’_

Diverting her gaze towards the Hyuuga Compound as the shinobi disappeared into the Hokage Tower, Hikari searched for the familiar chakra of the younger versions of her friends. She hadn’t allowed herself to slack off for the past two months, training to boost her muscle strength and expanding the range of her sensing ability.

Her hard work had paid off; Hikari could easily detect the two Hyuuga cousins, despite being halfway across the village.

_‘I will not fail. Hinata, Neji...I will protect you, no matter what.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not the Hyuuga Affair like I promised, but I think this is much better?
> 
> I wanted Hikari to be formally introduced to Shisui and Itachi soon and Shikaku to meet her. Unexpectedly, things ran longer and ended up over 9k words before I realized it.  
> The Hyuuga Affair is definitely the next chapter though.
> 
> Wordsmyth, I loved your comment but I've already planned out the event(written most of it too).  
> It wouldn't have worked out much in my story world. The Clan heads aren't good enough friends yet and Hikari is 7. If she looked 19, it might have.  
> It was a good suggestion though!  
> Perhaps a crack chapter or something similar with that scenario. Who knows, I might just write it.
> 
> Posted: 30/05/2020


	8. The Hyuuga Affair: Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumo makes their move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long and wordy chapter....over 10k words. And it's only part I.  
> I think I've posted this a few hours earlier than usual, since it's still Friday night here.
> 
> One person in the comments already noticed something off about Kumo; what tipped you off?  
> Did you predict what's about to come?
> 
> There will be some stuff in the end notes that I've wanted to address, since I'm not sure if it will ever come up in the story and I don't think they're actually spoilers.
> 
> Anyway, happy reading!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Hikari sat at the kitchen table, staring out the window at the darkening sky. It was nearly time; the treaty between Konoha and Kumo had been signed that morning and now the three Kumo nin were heading to the Hyuuga Compound for the night.

She was waiting for Kakashi to report to her; if she had had her way, Hikari would have been at the Hyuuga Compound, watching the Kumo nin closely.

But it was decided that such a thing was too risky; even if she had complete faith in her seals, should someone spot her, there would be serious repercussions and their plan might fail.

So she settled down with a cup of tea to soothe her nerves, waiting.

Five minutes passed before Kakashi arrived, Shunshining directly into her house. He was dressed in full ANBU regalia, cloak and all. “Everything’s clear, Hikari. The ANBU teams are on their patrol and the shinobi from Kumo have retired for the night.”

The redhead nodded, hopping off her chair to stand in front of the teenager. “Is Jiji watching?”

Kakashi shook his head. “It would raise suspicion,” he said. “Hokage-sama has gone back home as well.”

Hikari bit her lip, debating whether she should spill her concerns to the silver haired teen. She had spent the previous day following the Kumo nin around, spying on their every movement. That was when she had noticed something different.

**_“Tell him, kit.”_ **

_“Are you sure, Kurama? I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily.”_

**_“You need allies to cover you if something goes awry. Better the mutt than anyone else.”_ **

_“....fine.”_

Looking back at Kakashi, Hikari nodded to herself. “Something’s strange, Kakashi-nii.”

Kakashi stiffened, now on full alert. Both his eyes were visible, the Sharingan gleaming threateningly in the low light of the kitchen. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t realize it till now...but there was only one shinobi from Kumo in my world.”

“But there are three here...” the ANBU murmured, looking at her sharply. “Do you think they are planning something else?”

Hikari shook her head. “I’d say something _more_...they’ll probably split up duties.”

The more she thought about it, the more likely it was that something had changed. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that she had overlooked something, but it was too late to change their plans now.

“I’m going to inform the other ANBU teams on patrol to watch for suspicious activity,” Kakashi informed the redhead, preparing to leave.

“Wait!”

Hikari pulled out a kunai, holding it out to him. He took it with a raised eyebrow, not noticing anything different with it. “I already have kunai,” he stated drily.

The girl whacked him on the arm, huffing in annoyance. “That kunai has my Hiraishin seal hidden under the wrap on the handle. Keep it on you,” she ordered, expression serious. “I doubt you’d need me but _I_ might need to get to _you_.”

Kakashi nodded, slipping the kunai into his weapons pouch. “Stay safe, Hikari, and watch over Naruto.”

Hikari nodded, a faint smile on her lips. “Go, Kakashi-nii. Be careful.”

The teen vanished, leaving her standing alone in the kitchen. She sighed and turned to wash her teacup, the feeling of having forgotten something niggling at her brain all the while. With that done, Hikari took one glance around the house and switched off all the lights, drawing the curtains too for good measure.

Hikari quietly went up the staircase to the second floor, poking her head in Naruto’s room to check up on him. He was curled up tight under the covers, not liking the cold. _‘At least someone can sleep soundly,’_ she thought with fondness, adjusting the sheets a little.

Naruto shivered a little, the draft from the open window causing the air to cool. Hikari moved to close it, stopping for a minute to gaze at the moon. The sky wasn’t very clear, but it was enough to make out vague shapes. It gave out an ominous sensation, almost as if something was lurking in the darkness.

 _‘No point in thinking about it,’_ the girl sighed, drawing the curtains. She stopped by the child’s bed, running a hand through his hair.

“Sleep well, Naru-chan,” Hikari whispered gently. “Things are going to change in the morning, after all.”

She made for her own room after that, intent on staying up the entire night. Sitting down on her bed in a meditative pose, Hikari concentrated on the flow of her chakra. A calm mind let her sense chakra from longer distances; it would be useful in the near future.

* * *

In the Hyuuga compound, the Clan Head sat in his study. He had adopted a perfect seiza, back stiff and straight. Hiashi was unable to allow himself to rest, the three foreign presences in his home making him uneasy, though he had been the one to offer it.

It didn’t help that the Hokage had been concerned too, taking him apart after the signing to give him a warning. Hiashi had agreed; many terms in the treaty had been unusual and full of loopholes yet it was either the treaty or war.

 _‘I must be calm,’_ the Clan Head thought, forcibly keeping his pulse steady. It was almost midnight, a time when the village was quiet except for the patrolling shinobi and those leaving on missions. But on this night, he could almost taste some kind of excitement in the air.

Deciding that pondering on the matter was of no use, Hiashi smoothly rose to his feet. _‘I should check if everything is alright.’_

He walked through the halls of the Hyuuga Main House, looking for any discrepancy or something even the tiniest bit out of place. His wife was in their room, her chakra pulsing with a softness that spoke of sleep.

 _‘There seems to be nothing wrong so far,’_ Hiashi mused, contemplative. The next room he checked was his daughter Hinata’s. To his shock and growing dread, he did _not_ sense anything inside. Not even a faint sliver of chakra.

“Hinata?” he called, sliding the door open. Hiashi stepped inside, pale eyes taking everything in urgently. There was no sign of his daughter; her futon was messy, proving that Hinata had been sleeping before somehow disappearing.

Resisting the urge to curse, he left the room and called out for the guards. “Hinata is missing,” he informed them, a hard edge to his voice. “I want her found immediately and someone to investigate how it happened. You have your orders. Move, now!”

“Yes, Hiashi-sama!”

The Branch House members scattered throughout the compound, Byakugan active as they searched for their missing heiress. For such a thing to happen while foreign dignitaries were visiting was a blow to their pride.

Hiashi’s feeling of dread did not abate and he recalled the Hokage’s warning: _“Watch the Kumo nin; something is not quite right with their behaviour.”_

“Could it be?”

He dropped all pretences, rushing to the wing the Kumo shinobi were housed in. “Byakugan!” Hiashi activated his dojutsu, the veins around his eyes bulging as chakra flowed into them.

It was too late; the three rooms were empty. Everything was untouched, giving the impression that none of the utilities had been used. The Kumo shinobi had merely been waiting for nightfall to enact whatever plan they had made.

 _‘They must have slipped out during the guard shifts,’_ Hiashi deduced, gritting his teeth. None of the Hyuuga had been monitoring the foreign nin with their Byakugan, as a sign of goodwill. Now it was backfiring on them.

With the barest amount of chakra, the Clan Head jumped up onto the roof. He was immediately joined by his twin; Hizashi had the slightest wrinkle of tension in his face as he questioned, “Nii-san?”

“Kumo has betrayed us, Hizashi,” Hiashi replied shortly, making his brother stiffen. “I believe they have taken Hinata. Inform Father and send someone to the Hokage Tower; Sandaime-sama needs to be informed of this.”

“What are you going to do, Nii-san?” Hizashi called after the tense form of his brother. If Kumo had really been behind the kidnapping, everything was going to turn into a nightmare.

Hiashi paused, Byakugan pulsing as he searched for a trail.

“I am going to rescue my daughter.”

* * *

Hikari frowned, rising out of her meditation as two chakra signatures approached her house. They were maybe five minutes away, moving at a moderate pace.

“What are Kumo shinobi doing here?”

Something clicked into place at that instant and she realized, “They’re after me!”

 ** _“Not surprising, considering what they tried with your mother,”_** Kurama pointed out drily, exasperated at how dense his container was. **_“The mutt was right.”_**

 _“I guess so...Kakashi-nii was right to be concerned but I can take care of myself,”_ she replied, rolling her eyes at the fox.

“There are only two of them...where’s the Head Shinobi?” Hikari muttered as she recognized the approaching chakra signatures. Stretching out her senses to envelop the entirety of Konoha, she locked on to the third Kumo nin. “He’s still at the Hyuuga compound; they’re probably timing their actions.”

The redhead relaxed; the realization of Kumo’s aims had calmed her. She could take down the two heading for her easily but should she?

“What to do...?”

 _‘Oh? The head honcho is moving.’_ Hikari could feel the Head Shinobi’s chakra leaving his room, slowly moving determinedly. _‘He’s heading for Hinata and there’s no one around to catch him, not even the ANBU.’_

She was frustrated; at this rate, Hinata would be taken, Hiashi would give chase and everything would happen the same way as it did in her dimension. Hikari couldn’t intercept them without giving herself away....wait.

A smirk curved her lips as something occurred to her: _‘If I can’t go to them, why not let them take me?’_

Hikari made a single Kage Bunshin, a devious expression on the clone’s face as it vanished using the Hiraishin. She rubbed her hands eagerly; her plan could be described as reckless but she liked to call it a calculated risk.

In her mindscape, Kurama snorted. **_“I’m not bailing you out if you do something stupid.”_**

_“Don’t worry, Kurama! It’ll be fine!”_

**_“I’ll believe it when I see it, brat.”_ **

She pouted at the Bijuu’s lack of faith in her but chose to disregard it in favour of the two incoming intruders. With a twist of chakra, Hikari tweaked the seal formation around the house, deliberately weakening it.

_Two minutes._

Enhancing her hearing with chakra, Hikari eavesdropped on the Kumo nin’s conversation.

“Konoha is stupid to keep the Uzumaki in such an isolated place, especially as she’s living alone. But easier for us!”

Hikari’s brow creased in thought. _‘Living alone?’_ she echoed mentally. _‘Any good spy would have known that I take care of Naruto. Does that mean my existence was deliberately leaked to Kumo?’_

“Not sure if she’s in there, though; I don’t sense any chakra signature in the house.”

_‘Gah, I’ll think about it later; right now I need to secure Naruto!’_

The redhead leapt out of bed, slapping her best chakra suppression and perception seals around Naruto’s room. He didn’t need to be involved in this; it would be too dangerous for him. Hikari made another Kage Bunshin, intended to protect Naruto while she carried out her plan.

_One minute and twenty seconds._

Hikari could feel her barrier being tampered with; it would hold for another thirty seconds.

Plenty of time for her to finish up.

A single thought shattered her own chakra suppression seal, instantly being replaced by a weaker one. She meant for the two Kumo nin to find her; her abnormal chakra reserves might put them on guard around her so she had to remain fairly normal.

_One minute._

The barrier was almost deactivated and soon her chakra would be revealed to the Kumo nin. Hikari reached for the top drawer of her bedside cabinet and grabbed a box. It contained the seals she was making for Konoha and she quickly grabbed a bunch of them, tucking a couple into her pocket and sealing the rest into the storage seals on her bracelet.

_Twenty seconds._

_‘I overestimated them,’_ Hikari scoffed internally as she put the box in place and flew underneath the covers of her bed to give the impression that she had been sleeping.

The barrier finally disappeared, allowing the Kumo nin access. She could practically feel them homing in on her chakra and immediately make a beeline for it.

_Five seconds._

_‘Time to start the show.’_

Hikari smirked, quickly turning it into a faked yawn as she pushed herself up. Raising a hand to rub at her eyes sleepily, she sat up, the covers pooling around her waist.

_Zero._

* * *

A low thud sounded outside the window and a redheaded girl turned to look out with half-bleary eyes. Horror crept into her expression at the dark smirks on the faces of the two men looking into her room.

“Hello there, princess.”

The girl gave a short scream, tumbling out of bed in a panic and getting tangled in the blankets. Hiroto laughed at her pitiful attempts to escape, Gou still smirking next to him.

“Want to do the honours, Gou?” Hiroto drawled, watching as their target managed to get to her feet and dashed to the door.

“Sure,” the other man agreed, jumping forward and entering the room. In the blink of an eye, he was next to the girl. Before she could even whimper, a hand struck the back of her neck, sending her into unconsciousness.

“I’d have expected there to be more protection for her,” Gou mused, staring at the collapsed Uzumaki, crimson hair spread on the floor like blood. “There’s not even a single ANBU around here.”

Hiroto shrugged, not caring since it made his job easier. “Who cares? They must have thought that flimsy barrier would have kept anyone out.” He fingered a kunai, pleased at the simplicity of his mission. “Pick her up; we need to leave as soon as possible. Jin-sama is already on the move.”

Gou nodded; he checked her pockets for any weapons, finding only a couple of papers with seals scribbled on them. No doubt she had kept them for some sort of protection but they would be of no use to her against two experienced Jounin.

He threw the papers away and slung the girl over his shoulder. “You sure there’s no one else here, Hiroto? We can’t be found this early.”

Hiroto was the sensor of their group, especially added to the team for his large range. “Yeah, the brat’s the only presence I feel in here. Let’s go.”

The two men ran from the house, keeping to the shadows as they headed in the direction of the forest east of Konoha. They were to meet up with Jin there and then rush back to Kumo with their captives.

So far their mission was going smoothly.

Fifteen minutes later saw the pair at the edge of the forest, their Head Shinobi joining them seconds after they had arrived. The Hyuuga Heiress was tucked under his arm, unconscious or asleep.

“Hiroto, Gou. Report.”

“Mission successful, Jin-sama,” Hiroto muttered lowly as the trio leapt through the trees. “No one saw us take the girl. We found no signs of any Konoha ANBU or Jounin around her house.”

Jin nodded tersely. His eye was trained on the darkness ahead of him, “I doubt we’ll be getting out of here easily; someone would have already noticed that the Hyuuga girl is missing.”

At the most, they only had about ten minutes of a head start. They needed to get to any of the nearby smaller villages as quickly as possible to throw off any pursuers and get past the border of Fire Country safely.

Time passed by, each second of uninterrupted running making hope rise within them. Victory was so close they could almost taste it.

Too bad they didn’t know they had already failed.

* * *

The tell-tale pulse of chakra from Hikari’s kunai gave Kakashi only a split second to duck into a shadowed alley before the redhead appeared next to him.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed, grabbing the girl’s arm. She rolled her eyes, prying Kakashi’s fingers off. “I’m just a Kage Bunshin, Kakashi-nii,” the clone revealed, gesturing for the teen to follow her deeper into the alley.

“Did something happen?”

The clone tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Kumo’s started to move,” she stated bluntly. The ANBU tensed, watching her carefully.

“What are they up to?”

“They’ve split up. You were right, Kakashi-nii; two of them came after Boss and the Head Shinobi is aiming for Hinata.”

“What?!”

“Don’t worry, Boss has a plan,” the clone smirked mischievously, quickly recounting Hikari’s idea to the silver haired teen.

Kakashi grew more and more incredulous at each word that spilled from the redhead’s lips. “You’re insane, you know that?”

The clone’s expression turned grave as she nodded. “I know, but there’s too much at risk. I doubt Hiashi-san will remain calm enough to not kill the Kumo nin and all of you are too far to get there in time.”

“...what do you want me to do?”

“From what I can sense, Boss has already been taken and Hiashi-san just started to give chase,” she replied thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side. The Hyuuga were spreading out, likely alerting the other Konoha forces to the situation.

“You have an excuse,” blue eyes stared dead straight into mismatched ones. “Take a couple of ANBU with you to the house and send another after Hiashi-san. We have a twenty minute window; either we make it or Boss has to reveal herself.”

“Fine,” Kakashi grit out, aggravated and tense. “I’ll do it. Tell Hikari to be careful.”

“Not happening, Kashi-nii!” the clone chirped, shooting a wide grin at him before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Exhaling softly, Kakashi forced himself to calm down. He tugged his mask back over his face and ran up the alley walls to get to the roof.

_‘Who should I take with me?’_

“Captain!”

A familiar voice called out from behind him and Kakashi turned to see a team of four ANBU heading towards him. He knew all of them and trusted them enough. They’d do.

“Tenzo. What’s the situation?”

The ex-Root member snapped to attention as soon as he landed in front of his captain. “The Hyuuga heiress, Hinata-sama, is missing. According to the information we’ve received from the Hyuuga, Hiashi-sama believes that Kumo is responsible for her disappearance,” he reported concisely. “There are two trails leaving the Hyuuga compound; both headed east, but one trail is slightly fresher.”

“So one or two of them left earlier,” Cat surmised, receiving an agreeing nod from Hound. “But why would they need to split up? To throw us off their trail?”

The bird masked ANBU shook his head, refuting the suggestion. “It would be pointless since they still headed in the same direction.”

“So they were after something else.”

Kakashi interrupted at that point, reluctantly following the script Hikari had set, “Neko is right. The Uzumaki children live on the eastern side of Konoha.”

The four ANBU stiffened; news of the newcomer had spread to most of the shinobi forces, to ensure that they were familiar with her. Uzumaki Hikari, being a girl, had undoubtedly attracted Kumo’s attention. Not to mention that Konoha’s Jinchuuriki was with her.

“Tenzo, Cat; the two of you are coming with me,” Kakashi ordered in an emotionless voice. He then looked at the other two ANBU, “Bear, Bird, follow Hiashi-sama’s trail and provide back-up.”

The group exchanged glances and nodded once, splitting up to perform their assigned tasks. Kakashi took the lead of his team, keeping a fast pace. Tenzo and Cat followed half a step behind him, silent and deadly.

In less than ten minutes, the trio stood in front of the still house. Tenzo frowned, “The barrier’s gone, captain. There are no traces of chakra in the air.”

Kakashi nodded, walking up the front wall of the house and climbing into Hikari’s room. The other two ANBU didn’t question him and entered the room after him.

There weren’t many signs of a struggle; the bed was unmade, the blankets resting in a tangled mess on the ground. The dog masked ANBU spotted a few sheets of crumpled paper on the ground, recognizing them as Hikari’s seals.

 _‘She probably meant for them to be decoys,’_ he thought, grudgingly impressed at the amount of thought the redhead had put into her plan. Outwardly, Kakashi said, “Cat, search the house. Tenzo, see if you can find any traces of remnant chakra.”

Cat slipped quietly from the room. Sensing for chakra proved to be of no use, there was barely anything in the house that had chakra. She had to manually check each room.

_‘If Kumo took the Jinchuuriki, things will get messy.’_

The room on the right of the redhead’s -Kakashi's room, not that Cat knew- was empty; everything was untouched and undisturbed, telling her that no one had been in there.

To her surprise, the room on the other side yielded results. As soon as Cat opened the door, bright and wild chakra washed over her. She almost stumbled, stunned by the chakra that had come out of practically nowhere.

 _‘Suppression seals,’_ she thought faintly, spotting the seals on the frame of the door; they were small enough to be missed easily and blended into the wood in the darkness. She suspected that there were more hidden around the room.

The occupant of the room was still there; little Naruto slept on, blissfully unaware of the excitement around him. Cat let out a sigh of relief; the kid was safe.

 _‘Uzumaki-san must have prioritized his safety over hers,’_ she thought wryly, sending a little healing chakra into the boy to keep him asleep as she picked him up. _‘I’m surprised the Kumo nin didn’t find him. Perhaps they didn’t check the house completely.’_

Unbeknownst to her, Hikari’s clone had been in Naruto’s room all the while, only dispelling when Cat had turned the knob. The perception manipulation seals on the blond’s room had been taken down when the three ANBU entered the house. But the chakra suppression seals had stayed on, to lend to the story that the Kumo nin had not noticed Naruto because of them.

Cat carried the sleeping boy back to her comrades, Tenzo relaxing a little when he saw that Naruto was safe. Hound’s ninken, Pakkun, was there too, having been summoned to help track Hikari.

“Uzumaki Naruto is safe and sound, captain,” Cat reported, shifting the child in her arms slightly. “There is no one else in the house.”

Kakashi nodded, glancing quickly at Naruto then looked at the female ANBU. “Take him to the Hokage Tower, Cat; stay with him until we come back. Only Hokage-sama is allowed near him in the meantime.”

“What about you?”

“Pakkun found Uzumaki-san’s scent; she’s been taken by Kumo as we suspected,” Tenzo explained to Cat, who indicated her understanding.

Kakashi took over, “We’re going to follow their trail.”

Having confirmed their next steps, the team of three split up, Cat heading north into the village while Hound and Tenzo followed Pakkun into the forest.

* * *

In the forest outside, approximately five minutes away at a full speed dash from Kakashi’s current location, the three Kumo nin dashed through the branches trying to keep the noise to a minimum.

The Head Shinobi, Jin, was taking point, Hinata tucked under one arm and a kunai held in his free hand. Hiroto was in the centre; as their sensor he could sense any attacks coming and move accordingly in defence of either of his teammates. Gou was last, Hikari still slung over his shoulders.

 _‘Kakashi-nii should have started from the house by now,’_ the clearly _not_ unconscious redhead thought. A hit to the neck wouldn’t take her down and she had subtly channelled chakra to soften the blow as well.

A whimper reached her ears and Hikari had to force herself not to move. Hinata had awakened and was distressed and utterly terrified by the unknown man carrying her.

“Shut up, brat!” Jin snarled at the poor girl, shaking her roughly. “Gou, is the Uzumaki still out?”

“Yes, Jin-sama,” Gou affirmed; the girl hadn’t moved at all, hanging lifelessly over his shoulder. That was one captive less to worry about making noise.

“Any pursuers, Hiroto?”

“There’s one nearing us, Jin-sama,” the sensor reported, voice strained. “There are more following, but they are further away.”

“Damn it!” Jin cursed; it wasn’t supposed to be this way. He assumed that the closest person was a Hyuuga, presumably Hiashi since it was his daughter’s life at stake.

But the other pursuers were unexpected; the three of them could handle a single Hyuuga but the others, most likely ANBU, would be upon them soon. Konoha wasn’t supposed to react so quickly!

“Pick up the pace!”

Hikari smirked at the trio’s clear discomfort; they probably expected only Hiashi to give chase. With the three of them, they might have killed the Hyuuga Head and made off with Hinata and herself. If Konoha threatened war and/or reparations for the loss of Hiashi, the two girls would have served as hostages too.

But with a team of ANBU after them, escaping unscathed was a pipe dream.

And she wasn’t quite so harmless either.

 _‘Guess I’ve stalled long enough,’_ the Uzumaki thought. She could feel Hiashi closing in on them, no doubt tracking them with his Byakugan. Hikari was aware that he would see her movements as well but she wasn’t too worried. Her skills weren’t going to be a secret for much longer anyway.

The moment Kakashi entered the range she wanted him to be in, Hikari commenced with her plan. As her front faced the back of the Kumo shinobi carrying her, it was easy to pull out a few paper seals from her bracelet’s storage seals.

She actually didn’t need them, having the ability to apply seals with mere touch but she didn’t want to reveal everything yet. So paper seals it was.

_‘Let’s get this over with.’_

Hikari pressed one of the seals in her hand to Gou’s back, feeling the precise moment that the man’s muscles froze. His limbs no longer responded to his will and Gou collapsed with an inaudible curse, fear coursing through his every cell.

The redhead didn’t wait; she was moving before the man even hit the ground. Curling her knees slightly so that her feet were facing the ground, Hikari pushed off the man’s back, forcing him to the forest floor a second after she landed.

“Gou?”

Hiroto stopped when he felt terror lance through his comrade’s chakra, kunai already in hand to deal with the threat. He never got a chance; as soon as he turned around, Hikari was upon him. She had vaulted off the ground the instant her feet touched it, the momentum allowing her to fly over the man’s head.

“I’ll be taking that,” Hikari chirped cheerfully as her right hand shot out to grab his kunai, left hand holding the seal that she slapped on his face.

Hiroto dropped like a stone.

“Two down,” she murmured to herself, gripping the kunai tightly and darting up into the trees. Hiashi would arrive soon; she needed to retrieve Hinata and take down the last Kumo nin before then.

Jin heard his two teammates collapse, barely a couple seconds gap between each one going down. He whirled around, intending to face the attacker. But there was no one in sight; Gou and Hiroto were lying on the ground, bodies stiff. The Uzumaki girl was missing.

“Who’s there?!”

There was no response to his growled question, making Jin tense up even more. The Hyuuga girl had gone still under his arm, much to his convenience.

It was only years of engrained instinct that made the man spin just in time to deflect the blade slashing at his back. Blue eyes connected with his single dark one, the cold steel in them sending a shiver down his spine.

Jin slashed back, forcing the Uzumaki girl away; she twisted in midair, retreating back into the dense trees.

_‘That girl is no ordinary brat; were we fooled?’_

Up on a branch above the man’s head, Hikari peered through the leaves at her last target. _‘He definitely earned his position,’_ she mused lazily, not at all concerned. Compared to the level of enemies she had fought over the years, Jin was a mere speck of dust.

**_“Hurry up, kit; the Hyuuga’s almost here.”_ **

_“I know.”_

Kurama’s warning didn’t really bother her, but it did make her think. She needed a distraction to divert the man’s attention for a single second; normally a Kage Bunshin would have done the trick but with Hiashi so near, it would attract uncomfortable questions.

Just as she was about to consider one of her seals, a shrill scream split the air. Hikari glanced back down sharply; it was Hinata. She didn’t appear to have been injured but she had started struggling, flailing her arms and kicking her kidnapper.

“Father! Mother! Someone, help me!”

“Shut up, brat!”

Jin snarled in frustration, shaking the little girl roughly in an attempt to scare her into silence. His orders were to bring her to Kumo unharmed but if it went on like this, he would have to resort to drastic measures.

“Tch...just when the other girl is on the loose, too.”

Hikari saw her chance; Jin was distracted by Hinata’s screaming, just enough for her to get the drop on him. Seal in hand, she dropped down to land on the man’s shoulders and wrapped her legs around his neck.

The sudden weight made Jin stumble and ended up being his fatal mistake. A piece of paper was slapped on his cheek, chakra emanating from the seal in tendrils and causing his body to lock up.

 _‘We’ve failed,’_ he thought as he started to topple backwards. _‘I’m sorry, Raikage-sama.’_

Hikari flipped over the man’s head, snatching a now quiet Hinata from his slack grip and leaping a few feet away. She dropped to the ground, the Hyuuga heiress cradled in her arms.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Hikari murmured comfortingly to the crying girl. “You’re safe now. I’ll protect you.”

Hinata sniffled, tiny hands curling in the older girl’s shirt as she managed to nod. “Father...”

“Your father will be here soon,” the redhead hummed, one hand stroking the Hyuuga’s short blue strands in a soothing manner. The feeling of victory welled up in her, Hikari stifling a yell in order to not startle the girl in her arms.

_‘I did it! Take that, fate!’_

* * *

Hiashi ran through the forest, eyes focused on the fleeing Kumo trio. _‘Not only my daughter, but the Uzumaki girl too,’_ he thought, enraged.

He had not met Hikari yet but it was the logical conclusion. There was no other girl in Konoha whom Kumo would be interested in; Inuzuka Hana was the only girl closest to the age of their second captive and Hana didn’t have hair _that_ long.

 _’This is going to be a tough battle,’_ Hiashi steeled himself; back-up was on its way and he just needed to hold out till then, while ensuring the girls’ safety.

Much to his shock, however, the Uzumaki suddenly started moving and took down two of the Kumo nin in seconds before retreating into the trees.

_‘Seals?’_

With his Byakugan, Hiashi could see that the two men were alive and conscious. Foreign chakra was coursing through their system, sending little sparks at random intervals that attacked their nerves and tenketsu. She had probably used a paralysis seal or something similar to that.

The last Kumo nin was stronger and better, deflecting the attack the girl attempted. Hiashi was sure that she could at least stall until he got there, though he suspected that the Uzumaki wasn’t aware that help was coming.

A shrill scream sounded out of the blue, the fear in his daughter’s voice making Hiashi run faster subconsciously. But it proved to be the distraction the older girl needed, making use of the man’s attention on Hinata to incapacitate him.

Despite having watched everything with his Byakugan, Hiashi couldn’t believe it; a girl only a few years older than his own daughter had defeated three seasoned shinobi in minutes. If someone had told him that, he would have scoffed but the proof was in front of his eyes.

“Hinata!”

Hiashi burst onto the scene, Byakugan active as his pale eyes focused on his daughter. Hinata perked up at his voice, turning around in the older girl’s arms.

“Father!” Hinata called out tearfully, arms reaching for her father. Hiashi dashed forward to scoop his girl into his arms, uncaring of decorum for once. There was no one to call him out anyway, the only witness being the Uzumaki who tactfully turned her face to the side to give them some semblance of privacy.

Hinata quickly lost consciousness, the stress of the night taking its toll on her young body. Hiashi shifted her to his left arm, settling her head on his shoulder to make her comfortable. Once that was done, he cleared his throat to get the redhead’s attention.

“Uzumaki-san.”

Said girl raised her head to meet his gaze head on, no fear in the strangely familiar blue eyes. She offered him a tired smile, muttering, “Hyuuga-sama.”

“You have my gratitude, Uzumaki-san. You saved my daughter, despite having no connection to her.”

Hikari laughed a little, shaking her head. _‘If only you knew, Hiashi-san.’_

“My little brother is the same age as her,” she replied instead, gesturing to the sleeping Hinata. “I couldn’t let her be hurt, no matter what.”

Hiashi was mildly surprised at the raw honesty in her voice; but did she really not care about herself?

“Are you hurt?” he queried instead, running a critical gaze over her form. Hikari was dressed in a pale pink shirt and black pants, crimson locks falling loosely over her back. Her bare feet were bruised and blue from the cold.

“Not really. I’ll heal,” Hikari muttered under her breath, getting to her feet slowly. She wasn’t actually all that tired but the adrenaline was fading and she had yet to get her bearings.

The ruffling of leaves told them that they had company; the ANBU team led by Kakashi dropped from the trees, weapons ready and alert.

“Hiashi-sama,” Kakashi greeted, mismatched eyes flickering over to the redhead who gave him an almost imperceptible nod. He relaxed in the knowledge that the situation was under control and signalled for the other ANBU to check on the Kumo nin.

Hiashi only nodded back at him, content to let the ANBU captain take control. “If there is a medic amongst you, Hinata and Uzumaki-san need to be looked at.”

The bear masked ANBU stepped forward, hands glowing with green chakra. He waited till Hiashi gave him permission, performing a diagnostic jutsu on the young Hyuuga girl. “Hinata-sama is only exhausted, Hiashi-sama,” he stated after a few moments. “She will be fine with some rest.”

Bear turned to the other girl, “Uzumaki-san.”

Hikari huffed, waving him away. “Thanks, but there’s no need. I heal fast.” An arm wrapped around her waist, picking her up and she sighed in defeat, holding onto Kakashi.

“What are you doing?”

“You may heal fast but that is no reason to get frostbite,” he shot back blandly, attention already shifting to Tenzo who approached them. Bird had stayed back with the bound Kumo nin.

“The captives are unhurt, captain,” the Mokuton user said, eyes lingering on the Uzumaki momentarily. “They seem to have a seal on them that restricts their movements.”

“Your work, Uzumaki-san?” Hiashi asked drily, astonishing the ANBU except Hound. They had thought that it had been the Hyuuga head who defeated the Kumo nin. While that was true, Hiashi was actually asking if Hikari had made the seals she had used.

“Yes,” Hikari replied with a grin, a tone of pride in her voice. “Paralysis seals are pretty useful if you can catch the victim off-guard. They won’t be able to move for at least three hours.”

“Good,” Kakashi stated decisively, gesturing for the other ANBU to pick up their captive. “Bird and Bear, take the men to T&I. Ibiki should have already been alerted.”

The two men nodded, grabbing the Kumo shinobi none too gently and leaving with a quick salute. Hikari piped up, “Wait, where’s Naruto? He was in the house.”

“I told Cat to take him to the Hokage Tower,” Kakashi informed her. “That’s where we’re heading too. Hiashi-sama, if you would come with us.”

The Clan Head inclined his head agreement and the five disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

* * *

Hiruzen stood on the roof of the Hokage Tower, mouth set in a grim line as he stared out over the village. Cat stood a few feet away, Naruto still fast asleep in her arms.

_‘What are you doing, Hikari-chan?’_

He had not gone to sleep, instead waiting anxiously for news from the village. And as he had expected but hoped against, a messenger from the Hyuuga had arrived with information about their missing heiress and of Kumo’s possible involvement.

The old Hokage had gone to the Tower to organize the chaos, only to be met by Cat. She had kept a wide berth between her and the rest of the shinobi, her masked face only adding to the threatening air.

“The Uzumaki’s house had been breached, Hokage-sama,” she had reported the second she saw him. “Uzumaki Hikari is missing; Hound-taichou believes Kumo took her and has gone after them with Tenzo. This child, however, was hidden behind powerful chakra suppression seals and somehow went unnoticed.”

Hiruzen had ordered her to follow him and to continue protecting Naruto. Once he had gained a good understanding of the situation, messengers had been sent out to the other clans, telling them to be on high alert.

He had no doubt that almost all of them would barge in sooner or later.

 _‘Hikari-chan allowed herself to get captured on purpose,’_ Hiruzen mused, hands folded behind his back. He knew that her barrier was one even Jiraiya would be hard-pressed to break and could have easily kept out the Kumo nin.

The only reason he could think of was that she had done it in order to be in a position to protect Hyuuga Hinata if necessary. _‘I had hoped that Hiashi would have understood my warning and would have kept an eye out. It seems that I have become naive.’_

Sounds of multiple Shunshins were heard and a group of Jounin appeared behind the Hokage. They knelt in unison, awaiting their leader’s orders. All that they knew was that something had happened and that it involved the delegation from Kumo.

“It appears that Kumo has betrayed us,” Hiruzen spoke with a calm that he did not feel. To their credit, the Jounin did not react so he continued, “The Hyuuga heiress, Hinata and another young girl, Uzumaki Hikari, have gone missing and all current leads point to the delegation from Kumo.”

Out of the corner of his eye, the Sandaime noticed one young Jounin at the very back of the group flinch minutely but gave it no thought. “Konoha has been placed in a state of high alert and there is no telling how the situation will play out. For now, all Jounin are ordered to patrol the village.”

He gazed over his shinobi with a careful eye, seeing nothing but resolve in their tense frames. “We must stand united; do not let anyone take advantage of the chaos and slip into the village. Anyone who enters or leaves is to be investigated carefully.”

Hiruzen was about to add more when a familiar burst of chakra caught his attention. A second later, a small group appeared on his left, one of them kneeling immediately.

“Hey, Jiji,” Hikari greeted him cheerfully, eyes bright and sparkling with unrestrained glee. “What are you doing?”

He had to stifle an amused laugh; the redhead clearly had no thought for the scene she had appeared in. Kakashi was holding her, his mask hiding his expression but Hiruzen had the feeling that the ANBU wanted to hit her.

“I see you are in good spirits, Hikari-chan,” the Hokage replied drily, shifting his gaze to the Hyuuga Clan Head. “I hope your daughter is well, Hiashi?”

Hiashi gave a single nod, holding his sleeping daughter carefully. “Hinata is as well as she can be, given the circumstances. Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama.”

Hiruzen accepted the words, redirecting his attention back to the two ANBU.

“At ease, Tenzo.”

The Mokuton user rose to his feet, moving a step back to flank Kakashi. He was alert but not tense, eyes flickering behind his mask to stare between the Hokage and his captain who was holding a child rather comfortably.

“Was it Kumo, Hound?”

Kakashi nodded, staring straight at the Hokage while subconsciously tightening his grip on Hikari. He had known what had happened to Kushina from his sensei; while he intellectually knew that Hikari was stronger than her mother and had the Hiraishin as back-up, he had been worried.

“The Kumo nin have been apprehended with no injuries, Hokage-sama. Bird and Bear have taken them to Ibiki.”

 _‘Ah. So whatever Hikari-chan had planned succeeded,’_ the Sandaime thought, glancing at the redhead who was barely paying them any attention. Hikari was leaning away from Kakashi, frowning as she looked at the gathered Jounin.

“Shisui?”

One of the Jounin twitched and Hiruzen noted that it was the same one who had flinched earlier. Now that the situation had been contained, he wanted to know what exactly had happened and not all of his shinobi needed to know.

He addressed the still kneeling shinobi, “As you have seen, the girls are safe. But your orders still stand; we do not know how Kumo will react. Be on your guard and protect Konoha with all your might. Dismissed.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!”

A chorus of replies sounded but before they could leave, Hiruzen added, “Shisui-kun, stay.”

Shisui had to wonder why all the Jounin were called out in the middle of the night. Fugaku had seemed troubled; even the Police Force had been mobilized. Something big had happened in the village.

When the young Uchiha landed on the roof of the Hokage Tower, he had been surprised at the sight of the little blond child with the female ANBU. Though it wasn’t widely known, Shisui had been aware that his newest friend was taking care of him. It was his first time seeing the Jinchuuriki and he had been confused at the absence of the redheaded girl.

“It appears that Kumo has betrayed us. The Hyuuga heiress, Hinata and another young girl, Uzumaki Hikari, have gone missing and all current leads point to the delegation from Kumo.”

_What._

Shisui couldn’t help the minute flinch that wracked his body at that statement; he knew that the Hokage had noticed but, thankfully, didn’t call him out. Kumo wasn’t a kind place for foreign people with bloodlines; it was one of the reasons that the female Uzumaki’s existence wasn’t made very public.

Cold fear gripped his heart at the thought of the bright girl being broken by Kumo’s practises and Shisui had to fight the urge to rush off in search of her.

 _‘The ANBU must already be looking for Hikari-chan and the little Hyuuga,’_ he realized with forced calm. No wonder the village was so abuzz with activity; practically all the ANBU were out and about.

Suddenly there was a burst of chakra, sharp with a hint of lightning, and then there were five new chakra signatures on the roof. Shisui didn’t dare move a muscle even when he recognized the ever bright and warm chakra of his friend, not even when she addressed the Hokage cheerfully.

He only listened with one ear as the Sandaime conversed with the newly arrived group, hoping against hope that he wasn’t dreaming and that Hikari was safe.

Shisui knew that his attachment to the redhead was strange; it wasn’t like an Uchiha to trust someone so easily, not even for him.

But Hikari had never looked at him with _those_ eyes, instead with open warmth and acceptance. She did not expect anything from and of him.

Even emotionally closed off Itachi had slowly started opening up to her, drawn in by the strange magnetism the redhead possessed.

“Shisui?”

Hikari called out to him, a hint of concern in her voice. Shisui winced; she must have noticed the turmoil in his chakra. But he did not respond; right now he was a Jounin of Konoha, waiting for his Hokage’s orders.

The Sandaime spoke, “As you have seen, the girls are safe. But your orders still stand; we do not know how Kumo will react. Be on your guard and protect Konoha with all your might. Dismissed.”

Shisui had to fight with his instincts and the urge to follow his orders but fortunately for him, the choice was made by someone else.

“Shisui-kun, stay.”

 _‘Thank goodness,’_ the boy sighed, raising his head to meet the Hokage’s mildly amused gaze.

Hiruzen had to stifle a chuckle at the frankly unhidden worry in the wide dark eyes that met his own. “Do you know him, Hikari-chan?” he asked the redhead, not taking his eyes off the Uchiha.

“Yeah, we met a few weeks ago,” Hikari responded absently, tugging at Kakashi to let her down. She didn’t know why her friend’s chakra was so panicked and she didn’t like that he absolutely refused to look at her.

“I see. At ease, Shisui-kun. You need not be so formal.”

Shisui took the words as permission, zipping forward towards the group. He got there just in time to catch Hikari who stumbled as soon as she was set on the ground.

“Hikari-chan!”

“I thought you said you weren’t injured, Hikari,” Kakashi remarked drily as the girl gripped the Uchiha’s arms to hold herself up. The boy didn’t seem to mind, watching her worriedly.

“I’m _not_ , Kakashi-nii. It’s just the adrenaline wearing off completely,” Hikari muttered, irritated at her body’s response to her relief. Hinata’s kidnapping was the first major incident that she had had the chance to alter and to see her plan succeed had filled her with an abundance of confidence and relief.

Her younger body was stupid though and reacted by her making her more tired than she actually was.

Hikari let Shisui support her, ignoring the adults amused by the two children’s interactions. She looked towards the female ANBU standing to the side, “Is Naruto okay, Cat-san?”

“He is simply sleeping, Uzumaki-san,” came the reply, Cat stepping closer so that Hikari could see the child. “His presence was completely hidden by your seals.”

“Thank you for protecting him, Cat-san,” Hikari offered the other girl a wide grin; Uzuki Yugao was someone she had met in passing during the Fourth War. They were more acquaintances than friends, but Yugao had taught her a little bit of kenjutsu. She was someone who could be trusted.

As a sign of that trust, Hikari did not ask to take Naruto, letting the older girl take care of him for the time being. Hiruzen and Kakashi picked up on this, immediately tagging the thirteen year old ANBU as an ally.

“Hokage-sama,” Hiashi cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Perhaps we should take this inside? I feel that it will start to snow soon.”

“I think the other clan heads are in your office, Jiji,” Hikari added, making everyone look at her in surprise. “I’ve only met Shikaku-san and for a brief moment, Yamanaka-sama, but there are a bunch of other chakra signatures too.”

Hiruzen sighed, vaguely wondering if his advisors were there too. If yes, then nothing would get resolved soon. “Very well,” the old man agreed. He looked at Shisui, who straightened at the attention. “Shisui-kun, I give you a different mission. You are to protect Hikari-chan and Naruto-kun until the danger has passed.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Jiji!”

Two voices responded to that statement, the Uchiha impassive with a glint of humour in his dark eyes while Hikari pouted.

“This is non-negotiable, Hikari-chan,” Hiruzen said firmly, expression serious. He would not put it past Danzo to try something while everyone’s focus was elsewhere. Kumo knowing of Hikari’s existence was not expected and he had to wonder where the leak had come from.

A thin red eyebrow twitched in annoyance and Hikari sighed in resignation. “Well, I guess it’s fine if it’s Shisui,” she said reluctantly. “But only him!”

“Of course. Now, let’s go to my office.”

* * *

Inside of the Hokage’s office, there was silent chaos. All of the clan heads were agitated and stiff, the advisors glaring at everything and anything that moved.

The tension was so thick it could be cut with a kunai.

“Hiruzen!” Danzo called out immediately when he spotted the Hokage. “Kumo has betrayed us! We must strike back at once!”

“You intend to go to war?” Hiruzen queried serenely, surprising the clan heads. None of them had spotted the group behind him yet and were still under the impression that Kumo had the upper hand.

“Hiashi’s girl was kidnapped!” Tsume shouted, face twisted into a snarl. She hated kids being used as tools or harmed and Hinata was her stuck-up Genin teammate’s daughter. There was no way the Inuzuka was going to sit still. “Are you going to just ignore that?!”

Hiashi spoke up from behind the Sandaime, directing his words at the woman. “My daughter is safe, Tsume. Do not rush into things recklessly.”

The Hyuuga Clan Head’s voice stunned the room into silence and the old Hokage took the opportunity to make his way to his seat. Hound and Tenzo flanked him on either side, while Cat slipped into a corner with Hikari and Shisui.

For his part, Hiashi took his usual place next to Tsume and Shibi. “Your pup’s fine then, bastard?” the woman asked brusquely, squinting at the little girl.

“It would appear so, Tsume,” Shibi answered for the Hyuuga. His kikaichu could pick up on the girl’s chakra and they told him that she was fine. “She’s merely sleeping.”

The uncomfortable atmosphere eased a little in the knowledge that one of the missing girls was fine. It was Shikaku who asked the next question.

“Hokage-sama, what about Hikari?”

All heads turned to the Sandaime; in their shock at Hiashi’s appearance, they hadn’t noticed the redhead.

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at the note of familiarity in the Nara’s voice and made a note to ask Hikari about it later. “Hikari-chan, do stop hiding in the corner and show yourself please.”

“I don’t want to be made into a freak show, Jiji,” came the snarky reply and everyone turned in the direction of the feminine voice, freezing when they got a good look at her.

Fiery crimson hair fell in silky locks down the girl’s back till her knees, somewhat mussed and tangled in some places. Her bright blue eyes met each of the adults’ stares with amusement, arms crossed over her chest.

Almost all of them immediately made the connection to Uzumaki Kushina but fell short of the true mark.

 _‘They see Mom in me,’_ Hikari mused, a teensy bit disappointed when none of them showed any realizations or even the faintest hint of suspicion. _‘They think it’s just an Uzumaki thing. Well, that’s good for me.’_

Her gaze landed on Danzo, the old war hawk regarding her with a critical eye. Hikari resisted the urge to scowl; was that irritation and disappointment she saw?

_“I guess we know how Kumo knew about me, Kurama.”_

The fox grunted in acknowledgement, hackles rising at the way the man looked at his container. **_“I don’t like him,”_ **he growled, protective fury in his words. **_“He must have planned for his Root to take you and then lay the blame on Kumo.”_**

 _“I think so, too,”_ Hikari replied, shifting slightly closer to Cat and Shisui. _“We’ll just have to keep ruining his plans.”_

 ** _“I could eat him for you,”_** Kurama offered, settling back down.

 _“No need, Kurama,”_ she said so very sweetly and innocently that it was clearly fake. _“He’ll taste bad and give you a stomach ache. Let’s just tear him to pieces when we get the chance.”_

**_“Bloodthirsty. I like it.”_ **

_“Of course, he deserves worse but it will have to do.”_

Hikari tuned back into the real world just as Shikaku addressed her. “You’re unhurt?”

“I’m just fine, Shikaku-san; how many times do I have to repeat that?” she complained, throwing her hands up into the air. “Yes, I’m a bit ruffled and tired but I. Am. Not. Injured.”

“Perhaps a few more times,” Shikaku drawled in his usual lazy tone, gaining an eyeroll from the girl. Despite all the mysteries surrounding her, he actually liked her quite a bit. Besides, Hikari was a puzzle that he had yet to put together.

“Now that we know the children are safe, what about the Kumo nin?”

It seemed that Koharu had gotten impatient and decided it was time to move onto more important matters. Hiruzen nodded; the children’s safety was a high priority but it was also necessary to counter Kumo.

“They are currently enjoying T&I’s hospitality,” he answered blandly, entertained by the startled looks that got him.

Tsume was certainly surprised. “I thought you would have killed them,” she told Hiashi, who did not refute her. He certainly would have if Hikari hadn’t dispatched them before he had arrived on the scene.

“I cannot take credit for Uzumaki-san’s efforts.”

 _‘Great; throw me right into the wolf’s den, Hiashi-san,’_ Hikari groused as the spotlight was on her again. She had to step carefully here; reveal too much and all of her secrets would be dragged out in the open.

Giving an uncertain shrug, she pressed closer to Shisui, his steady presence keeping her calm. He reminded her that she had more to do in the shadows, making her press past her dislike of politics for her friend.

Also, playing the slightly scared girl would throw them off a little.

“I remember two men entering my room and knocking me out,” Hikari started, keeping to some of the truth. “When I woke up again, I was slung over someone’s back. I can sense chakra to a small extent and I recognised them as the people who just came to Konoha.”

Revealing her sensing ability was a small sacrifice she had no choice but to make, already having had tipped off Hiashi earlier. “I know what Kumo will do if they captured me,” the redhead raised her chin, a defiant glare on her face. “I’d rather die.”

Shisui stiffened at her declaration and Hikari thoughtlessly patted his arm in a gesture of comfort, unknowingly sparking Fugaku’s interest.

“But that’s a final resort. I always carry seals on me,-”

Shikaku nodded at that, knowing of her bracelet and having spotted it around her wrist.

“-the shinobi were on guard but not against me; I just took advantage of that and placed paralysis seals on them.”

“You’re saying that you, a seven year old child, took on _three experienced shinobi and won_?” Homura asked disbelievingly, barely withholding a scoff.

“Not my fault they underestimated a little girl.”

“You are lying,” the old advisor decided in a pompous manner. “This is a plan between you and the Hyuuga to get you recognition.”

Now it was Hikari’s turn to stare in disbelief.

“Why would I want to do that?” she demanded, inserting a note of distress and hysteria into her voice. “I don’t even know the Hyuuga! I’ve spent all my life running from people who want me because of my bloodline and Kumo is the same! You think I would make up a stupid lie to gain attention that could get me _killed_?! You’re insane!”

Homura bristled at the accusations, opening his mouth to retort. “Silence, girl! How dare you speak to me, an esteemed advisor to the Hokage, in such an insolent manner!”

“I dare because you’re stupid!” Hikari snapped back. She knew she wanted to hide her skills but this idiot was so blind and ignorant that he was doing the job for her.

But the redhead also understood that if she took the insults passively, they would find a way to use her for their own gain.

She was not a tool, dammit!

“Next you’ll say that I plotted everything with Kumo to get fame or something equally idiotic!”

The statement earned multiple amused snorts, the Clan Heads entertained by the show taking place in front of their eyes. It wasn’t everyday that a little girl razed an _esteemed_ advisor to the ground.

Koharu flushed with indignation on her fellow advisor’s behalf and made to speak. “Now, look here-”

“Oh, shut up, old hag,” Hikari cut her off, turning to the amused Hokage with a weary expression. “These people are your advisors, Jiji? Seriously? I thought they’d be smarter.”

Hiruzen chuckled, not at all annoyed by the way she had yelled at Koharu and Homura. “Not everyone is like you, Hikari-chan.”

“You can say that again, Hokage-sama!” Tsume laughed uproariously; even Hiashi and Shibi seemed entertained. Fugaku didn’t show much expression, but the smug air radiating off him was evident. The InoShikaCho trio were already cackling loudly.

“I like you, brat,” the Inuzuka bared her teeth in a grin at the redhead. “Quite the spitfire, aren’t you?”

Danzo couldn’t keep quiet any longer, “Hiruzen, the girl cannot be allowed to show such blatant disrespect. She even addresses you so vulgarly.”

The Sandaime pushed back the urge to hit something. “I thought we had gathered here to decide on our next course of action towards Kumogakure, not squabble over a child’s behaviour, which is actually quite justified.”

Immediately, the atmosphere turned serious; the little show with the Uzumaki had distracted them from their purpose, for all that it had been fun.

“The children shouldn’t have to be here for this,” Inoichi spoke up, glancing at the sleeping forms of Naruto and Hinata. He winced and looked apologetic when their respective carers tightened their arms around the kids.

Hikari sighed; she could see the conflict in the Hyuuga head’s pale eyes. He clearly loved his daughter and was unwilling to hand her over to someone unknown.

“If you don’t mind, I can watch over her while you have your meeting,” she offered. “I’m pretty sure I’m not needed for it and I know I can’t go home yet.”

Hiashi considered her with a serious expression which Hikari made sure to meet head-on. After a few tense seconds, he gave a single nod. “You have already protected my daughter once tonight, Uzumaki-san; I shall entrust her to your care.”

The redhead grinned at him, bouncing over to the Hyuuga to carefully accept Hinata from him. It seemed that Hiashi wasn’t quite so bad yet. Perhaps he would never be.

“Please wait in the next room, Hikari-chan,” Hiruzen called as she exited the office, Shisui and Cat following her.

“Sure, Jiji!”

* * *

Shisui stared at the redhead sitting calmly on the bench, Naruto and Hinata on either side of her with their heads on her lap.

“You’re really okay, Hikari-chan?”

“Yes, Shisui,” Hikari replied patiently, running a hand through Hinata’s hair. She hadn’t expected Shisui to be so worried about her, having known her for less than two months. Cat wasn’t in the room with them, choosing to stand guard outside the door.

The Uchiha sighed, finally managing to muster a weak but true smile. “I was really scared when Hokage-sama said you were missing,” he confessed to the surprised redhead. “You’re really important to me and Itachi, Hikari-chan.”

“...what? Why?”

“It’s like we can relax around you. You don’t expect anything from us or constantly judge us....you don’t know how much that matters to us.”

Hikari’s surprised expression softened at the words. She had known that the two Uchiha boys were held to certain standards by their clan. It must have been hard to keep up with everything while maintaining their sanity.

For her part, Hikari didn’t care for any of that; she simply wanted her friends to be happy. Looking back on their interactions with a new perspective, the redhead could see how Shisui’s grin had turned more genuine around her and how Itachi had relaxed, even smiling sometimes.

“Stupid Shisui,” she said fondly, receiving a pout which she grinned at. “The situation might have been dangerous but it’s not the first time something like that happened to me.”

Shisui had no choice but to let it go, dragging a chair in front of the girl and sitting on it. “Itachi’s going to flip out when he finds out.”

“Itachi doesn’t do _‘flipped out’_ ,” Hikari snorted, knowing the stoic Uchiha too well for that; Shisui was clearly trying to make her laugh. “He’ll definitely hover though.”

“True.”

They descended into silence after that, content to sit quietly while waiting for further information on how to proceed.

Hikari glanced down at Hinata, feeling a smile curl her lips at the sight of the child version of her loyal friend. _‘With this, Neji will have his father. And I hope your life will be a little happier, Hinata.’_

She had no idea how her actions that night were going to change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Hikari's beat Kumo and sparked quite a bit of attention from the Council.  
> How will her actions affect the Hyuuga?  
> What else will be different from her past world and her current one?
> 
> Send me your ideas in the comments (although the next chapter is already finished, but if I like something I might add it)
> 
> So, the stuff I wanted to talk about.
> 
> 1) Hikari was never romantically involved in her past world, not with Sasuke or anyone else. She had too much on her plate to even consider it.
> 
> 2) I'm not planning for pairings for the Konoha kids. If I do include them, they will be canon pairings because I do like them. There won't be much screentime for any pairing except Shisui x Hikari and perhaps for the older generation. If the relationships do happen, they will build up in different ways.  
> Please don't come at me with pitchforks for my choice; in the end, it's still my story and I can write whatever I want.
> 
> 3) Hikari will not be attending the Academy nor get into a team until Naruto joins the Academy himself. I have plans for her future shinobi career.
> 
> 4) In canon, Naruto and Sasuke were portrayed as best friends in the end. While they will get along well here as well, I've decided that Shikamaru will be his best friend and Sasuke will be in second position. Because let's face it, no matter how much they complement each other, there's not the true connection of friends that Naruto and Shikamaru had, unbroken by betrayals. Besides, Naruto and Sasuke will grow up differently here and it's enough to change what brought them together in the first place.
> 
> 5) I do recall someone wanting more Uzumaki? While that's a fun concept to explore, I don't want to keep track of OCs. Sorry to those to who were expecting that.
> 
> Anything else....well, nothing more right now. 
> 
> I'll see you guys next week on the next chapter, The Hyuuga Affair: Part II.
> 
> Edit: I've decided to reply to some of the comments from now. If you've asked a question but I didn't answer, please assume that I've already addressed it in another reply or will come up in some way in near future chapters.
> 
> Posted: 05/06/2020


	9. The Hyuuga Affair: Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoha finally realizes the full impact of Kumo's plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't think there's much to say on this chapter but that it is a direct continuation of the previous chapter.  
> The Hyuuga Arc, as I like to call it, is not over yet but it will be covered separately.
> 
> Now, enjoy the chapter!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Hiruzen’s anger grew as he listened to Koharu rant on how Konoha had to go to war against Kumo for their betrayal. It was as if she had forgotten how much the Third Shinobi War had damaged the village. No one was ready for such a large scale fight.

“That is enough, Koharu,” he interjected sternly, glaring at her when she tried to protest. “Have you forgotten why we pursued this treaty? It is because we cannot afford another war!”

“But, Hiruzen-”

“I said enough!” The Sandaime nearly roared, stunning the room into silence. No matter what, he did not want fights to break out; too many of their current forces were young and Hiruzen felt ill at the mere thought of sending children out to fight. The Second and Third Wars were enough.

He looked at the Council, cataloguing all of their expressions. Their generation had fought in the Third War, which had been truly bloody. It seemed like they did not like the thought of another. Only the advisors seemed to desire it.

“With the Kumo nin apprehended, we have the upper hand,” Hiruzen stated firmly. “The treaty has been signed and however tentative it may be, it still has power. As long as we do not violate the terms, we can force Kumogakure to abide by our demands.”

Faint murmurs started up, the Clan Heads discussing amongst themselves before coming to a consensus. Hiashi spoke up first, “I will not pursue the matter of my daughter’s kidnapping as long as there is justice, Hokage-sama.”

Hiruzen internally sighed in relief; the Hyuuga was known to be rather prideful but since he had made his decision to not interfere, things were easier.

The ANBU Bird flickered into the room at that instant and whispered something into the Hokage’s ear. He nodded grimly in response and the ANBU melted back into the shadows, taking his place among the rest of the hidden guards.

“Come in, Ibiki,” Hiruzen called; apparently, T&I were done with their interrogation already and Morino Ibiki strolled in, hands in the pockets of his trademark black trench coat. His opening statement sparked quite a bit of whispering.

“Think I can get some of those paralysis seals from the Uzumaki brat? They’re pretty good.”

“Ask her yourself,” Hiruzen replied, mildly amused but mostly worried about why the interrogator had started off with that.

Ibiki snorted loudly. “Sure, if she doesn’t run away at first sight.”

“I think Hikari-chan might surprise you. Now, what have you found?”

The T&I member turned serious, recalling the three captives that had been brought to him. “If Uzumaki hadn’t used that particular seal, we might have three dead Kumo nin on our hands right now.”

Inoichi frowned; his time in T&I told him that it was possible that the Kumo nin had had some kind of mechanism to kill themselves. “Hidden poisons or something of the sort?”

“Yeah, the entire works. They had poison pills in their teeth,” Ibiki revealed. Searching a prisoner’s body for such items was normal to prevent them from committing suicide. “Multiple ones too. Since the paralysis prevented them from talking, we went directly to digging into their brains. And it isn’t pretty.”

“Tell us everything, Ibiki. Leave nothing out,” Hiruzen ordered, frowning heavily. Hikari had indirectly saved them again, in a way.

“Kumo was planning to double cross us right from the beginning. The Hyuuga heiress and the Uzumaki, if they succeeded in kidnapping them, they would have hostages and two bloodlines. But if they failed, they betted it on Hiashi-sama or one of the Hyuuga killing them.”

Shikaku got it; this was the exact reason the treaty had been bothering him. “We made it clear that we don’t want war,” he spoke up, none of his usual lazy attitude present. “So if the Kumo nin were killed, Hiashi would have been handed over to them.”

The Hyuuga Clan Head closed his eyes in consternation. The Nara was right; Hiashi would have been willing to sacrifice his life. He wouldn’t have regretted saving his daughter and if Konoha could avoid a war...

“So the poison pills were a precaution in case they were captured instead of killed immediately,” finished Shikaku.

Grim silence ensued after that, all of the occupants of the Hokage’s office thinking about how narrowly they had missed being caught in Kumo’s trap.

“What a twisted plan,” muttered Chouza. He wasn’t one to be very concerned about politics and so hadn’t taken much interest in the specifics of the treaty. But perhaps he should start paying attention if such things could blindside them.

Danzo took the silence to his advantage and started to speak. Most of his plans had fallen through recently and he wasn’t going to let go of this opportunity. “We should press this chance,” he insisted. “If we don’t, we will be taken as weak. Kumo will try again and we must not allow them.”

It was something Hiruzen had considered but was reluctant to do so; he knew how his former teammate’s thought process worked and it was likely Danzo was going to demand for a hostage. More specifically, a _Jinchuuriki_.

 _‘Hikari-chan mentioned a threat that all the nations came together to fight against in her world,’_ the Sandaime recalled, expression pensive. _‘If it happens here as well, alienating Kumo now will work against us in the future.’_

“Danzo-sama is right in that we must not forgive this offence, but it would be prudent to not be too forceful,” Shibi stated calmly. He was usually quiet and faded into the background but when he spoke, people listened. “Why? Forcing Kumo into a corner will most certainly make them liable to lash out in the future.”

Murmurs of agreement broke out, the clan heads seeing the bitter truth in the Aburame’s logic. But before anyone could pipe up with a follow up statement, Ibiki interrupted.

“I’m done with my report. Anyone know when the effects of the paralysis seal will fade?”

“Uzumaki-san mentioned that it works for a minimum of three hours,” Tenzo answered, remembering it from their conversation in the forest.

“Great. Those are better than usual restraints so I’d rather use them for scum like them. Anyone know where I can find the brat?”

Hiruzen waved for Tenzo to fetch the girl; the next part of the conversation would require her. The Mokuton user disappeared and a few moments later, the door opened to reveal the redhead.

Hikari didn’t bat an eye at the new addition in the room, simply tilting her head to the side. She knew Ibiki very well, her experience during her Chuunin exams being only the first. But for appearances’ sake, she had to act clueless.

“Nice scars but I doubt you’d win a beauty contest,” she remarked, pointing at his face; her grin widened when the interrogator chuckled. “So, who are you?”

“Name’s Morino Ibiki, brat,” he said, amused at the sass from the deceptively delicate looking girl. She certainly wasn’t bothered by his threatening looks. “Got more of those nifty seals you used on the Kumo scum?”

Hikari considered that, then looked over Ibiki’s shoulder to glance at the Sandaime. He nodded in response to her silent question, allowing her to do as she pleased.

“Yes,” she said, redirecting her gaze back to Ibiki. “Got about fifteen on me right now; that enough for you, Ibiki-san?”

“Heh, I’ll take what I can get.”

Inoichi squinted at the girl. He was confused, she had mentioned using seals on the Kumo nin but something had struck him as odd. “Wait, you have them with you _now_? Your clothes have no pockets; just where do you keep them?”

Next to him, Shikaku smirked; it didn’t go unnoticed by Hikari, who raised an eyebrow at him. “Stop preening, Shikaku-san. You’re not a peacock.”

Ignoring the raucous laughter from Chouza, Hikari raised her right hand. Her bracelet shone slightly but none of them noticed anything special on it, too far away to see the tiny seals. She tapped on a specific storage seal with her left hand and a stack of papers appeared on her palm.

“Here,” she held them out to Ibiki who took them, an interested gaze fixed on her right wrist. “Feel free to copy them if you have someone who’s _very, very_ good at calligraphy.”

“Pretty handwriting’s not in my line of work, brat,” the Morino chuckled, stuffing the papers into a pocket in his coat. He turned back to the Council, bowing to the Sandaime. “Hokage-sama.”

Once the door swung shut behind the interrogator, Koharu narrowed her eyes at the nonchalant girl. _‘Despicable child,’_ she cursed mentally, not wanting to risk incurring Hiruzen’s wrath again. He was oddly protective of her.

“What is that bracelet of yours, child?”

Hikari glared at the old woman and retorted, “None of your business, old hag.”

“I demand that you tell this Council at once!”

“No,” the redhead snapped back just as firmly. “I don’t like you and I sure as hell don’t want you to have my seals.”

“Koharu,” Hiruzen interrupted, tone deepening with a warning. “Hikari-chan’s seals are her Clan’s secrets. If she chooses not to reveal them, then you have no right to pry.”

“Those seals can contribute a lot to Konoha’s prosperity,” Danzo argued, not wanting to let the matter go just yet. “She has no right to hoard them.”

Oh, yeah; no one except the Hokage, Kakashi and Shikaku knew that she was the one currently providing most of the seals for their shinobi. Best to keep that little titbit from Danzo for as long as possible then.

“If,” Hikari raised her voice above the old war hawk’s, drawing attention to her, “and only if I choose to offer my seals, I’ll approach Jiji or someone relevant. Now shut up or you won’t even get that from me.”

Hiruzen sighed, feeling a pounding headache come on. _‘Mental note to self: never keep Hikari-chan alone in a room with the advisors. There will be bloodshed.’_

He glared at the bristling advisors, wondering how he had not seen how they had abused their power till now, how much he had let slide in the name of their friendship. Maybe it was because Hikari was not taking it quietly.

“Hikari-chan, do you want anything from Kumogakure for their transgressions against you?”

The redhead was confused, having no idea why Hiruzen was asking her that. “Of course not. I just want them far away from me and the clan kids, I guess, since they’re interested in bloodlines.”

“You sure?” Tsume asked, intrigued. The girl had no reason to be concerned about kids she barely knew but still that was only what she wanted. “They broke the damn treaty; you could practically demand half their village.”

“I have Konoha,” Hikari shot back easily, expression flat. “And I already said that I don’t want attention.”

Shikaku snorted, amused. Hikari was not your average seven year old and he wondered what she would do if she had no choice but to make a demand from Kumo. Deciding to test his growing theory, he addressed his next words towards her.

“You know the details of the treaty between Konoha and Kumo, Hikari?”

When she nodded -the document had been made public and she had read it out of curiosity and boredom- the Nara continued, “Then you know they have broken it. What would you demand as reparations from them?”

The poor girl looked confused; Hikari didn’t know where exactly Shikaku was going with this. She tried to prevaricate, “Isn’t that supposed to be your job?”

“Humour me.”

“Fine,” she muttered reluctantly. The Uzumaki mulled over the question, thinking about how she should answer. She decided to be honest, “I suppose that the traps in the treaty should be removed. Like the really stupid one that says ‘if a member of one village is killed by one from the other, then the victim’s village will get the body of the killer as compensation’ or something along those lines.”

“Current situation notwithstanding, why should that clause be removed?”

Hikari scoffed, turning a baleful eye on the Nara who stared at her with intense focus. “You already know why. Konoha and Kumo are shinobi villages; there is no doubt you will encounter each on missions where you will be on opposite sides. Handing over shinobi to either side will eventually end in decreasing both villages’ strength.”

Shikaku gave her a sharp but approving nod; her words had just answered one of his most pressing questions. Hikari was not the child she was pretending to be and the Hokage was in on the farce. It was enough reason for him to trust the girl to not harm Konoha.

But would she fight for the village?

The answer he got was yes; a clearly well thought out answer like that would never come from the mouth of one who did not care.

Shikaku turned towards the Sandaime, rising to his feet as he did so. “Hokage-sama, I propose that we renegotiate the terms of the treaty with Kumo. In exchange for their compliance, we will return their shinobi.”

“That’s preposterous!” Homura yelled, slamming his hands on the table. “How can we allow Kumogakure to go free?! They betrayed us!”

“So what? We never trusted them either,” Shikaku countered immediately. “We might have extended an olive branch which they discarded but that is no reason to overly antagonize them.”

Fugaku rose to his feet as well, having been silent for most of the meeting. The Nara had saved his clan from a fate that could have destroyed them and he had every intention of repaying that debt. Besides, he agreed with the proposal too.

“I second Shikaku’s proposal. It is in Konoha’s best interests to be merciful for the time being. Naturally, we must also let Kumo know that a repeat offence will not be tolerated.”

The remaining clan heads nodded, voicing their approval.

Hiruzen smiled faintly. The proposal had his approval as well and judging by the near invisible gleam in Hikari’s eyes, hers too. “Very well. We shall send a messenger eagle to the Raikage with the details of tonight and an order to begin renegotiations. The next matter of discussion is about what we shall do in the meantime.”

“It is best to proceed as we currently are,” Fugaku responded immediately. As Head of the Police Force, he was in charge of the village’s security and he knew very well that Kumo or any of the other villages would try to sneak in spies to destabilize them. “Until the treaty is rewritten, we must remain on high alert.”

“Very well. I ask Fugaku and Shikaku to coordinate patrols between the Police Force and the Shinobi Forces.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”

“That’s all well and good, but why am I here?”

Hikari wasn’t sure why she was in the office while they were debating the issue with Kumo and about Konoha’s security. Providing seals for Ibiki was one thing but she didn’t have to be summoned for that.

“I want you to look into temporary accommodations, Hikari-chan,” Hiruzen told her, earning a flat expression from the unimpressed Uzumaki. “You live too far from the village should anything happen and I prefer to know that you are somewhere safe.”

The redhead stared at the old man with narrowed eyes; he was taking the charade of helpless child too far. But she saw one advantage to the situation and intended to exploit it.

“Fine. I guess it would give me time to work on better defensive seals,” Hikari muttered under her breath. She was aware that she was heard; it was done on purpose after all. Her usual barrier seal array was more advanced than even the ones around Konoha and she needed an excuse for them.

“Is there anyone you would like to stay with, Hikari-chan?”

Hikari considered that; there weren’t many people that she knew in this world. She didn’t want to stay with Hiruzen and Kakashi was out since he would be busy for the foreseeable future. That left her with two options.

“If Uchiha-sama doesn’t mind, I’d like to stay with the Uchiha,” she decided, making Fugaku look at her with some measure of surprise. He would have thought that he would have been the girl’s last choice.

“It would make matters simple,” Hiruzen agreed; Shisui was still assigned as her guard and being at the Uchiha compound, which was the most defended place in the village, was a good idea. “Is that acceptable, Fugaku?”

The Uchiha clan head cleared his throat, watching the redhead. “May I ask you something, Uzumaki-san?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“I don’t mean to offend, but why us? Surely, you have other options.”

Hikari looked sheepish. “I don’t, actually,” she admitted. “I know very few people in Konoha and I had to pick between Nara or Uchiha.” She looked at Shikaku with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, Shikaku-san. I know only you and Shikamaru so I don’t feel comfortable staying at the Nara compound for a long time.”

“It’s fine,” Shikaku replied, amused at the girl’s behaviour. “I doubt I’ll be good company either.”

“Anyway,” Hikari turned back to the Uchiha, “Shisui is assigned to be my guard and I already know him. It’s just a matter of convenience.”

Fugaku inclined his head at her, satisfied at her response. “The Uchiha will be honoured to have you.”

Hikari beamed at him, voicing her gratitude.

“Since that’s done, this meeting is over,” Hiruzen declared, getting up from his seat. “The night has been long; get some rest, everyone, we have much to do when the sun rises.”

* * *

Hiashi stopped Fugaku before he left the Hokage Tower. “Fugaku, if I may have a word.”

Curious as to why the Hyuuga called him out, the Uchiha head agreed. The two of them headed to an empty room, locking it for the illusion of privacy.

The two rival dojutsu clan heads stared at each other, neither making the first move. Finally Hiashi sighed and lowered his head in a deep bow, startling the other man who barely managed to hide his reaction.

“I would like to make a request of you, Fugaku. Please house Hinata and my nephew, Neji, until this incident with Kumo is resolved.”

Fugaku recovered from his surprise quickly, narrowing dark eyes at the Hyuuga. “Raise your head, Hiashi, and explain.”

Hiashi straightened, staring back at the Uchiha. “You know of our Caged Bird Seal and how we place it on the Branch Family members when the Clan Heir turns three.”

“Of course.”

“Yesterday was Hinata’s third birthday.” Hiashi steeled himself, forcing himself to tell the truth to a man he had never gotten along with. “Neji was supposed to be sealed then...but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, not after submitting my own twin to that fate.”

Realization struck and Fugaku stated, with no hesitation or hint of a question, “That was why you offered to house the Kumo delegation.”

“Yes,” Hiashi nodded. He knew he hadn’t been the best to his family and was aware that Hizashi resented him greatly. During the meeting earlier, when they had discussed his possible death, Hiashi had realized something.

The Clan would never have stood for their Clan Head being sacrificed like that. Hizashi, with his similarity to him and more importantly, the Caged Bird Seal, would have been forced to be his substitute. _‘I have failed to protect my own brother from the Main Family for so long,’_ he thought, fists clenched tightly. _‘I cannot have him give his life for me.’_

Uzumaki Hikari had saved his life and indirectly, his brother’s as well. Hiashi knew that he would never be able to make up for his mistakes and he wanted to ensure that the future generation didn’t suffer as well.

“I tried to delay Neji’s sealing, while searching for a way to stop it entirely,” Hiashi revealed to his rival, knowing that Fugaku was a man of integrity and wouldn’t reveal it to anyone. “I wouldn’t put it past the Elders to do it behind my back, claiming that the Kumo incident is exactly why the Seal is necessary.”

Fugaku summed it up, “So you want me to protect the children while you try to prevent Neji-kun from being sealed.”

“Please, if you could do this for me, I would be in your debt.”

“If you want to repay me, save Neji-kun from his fate.”

Hiashi stared, not daring to believe his ears. “You’ll do it?”

The Uchiha inclined his head in agreement. “The Caged Bird Seal is one that I’ve truly detested about your clan,” he stated bluntly, eyes hard. “It is extremely barbaric and I would never subject one of mine to it.”

“I know,” Hiashi closed his eyes with a sigh. “I’ve always envied your clan for that.”

The two men didn’t speak after that, coming to a silent agreement. “Thank you, Fugaku. You would have been justified in refusing me and I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

Fugaku scoffed, heading towards the door. “This matter concerns a child; even if he is not of my clan, I do not want him to suffer. Bring the children to my house within the hour, Hiashi.”

The Uchiha Clan Head left without further fanfare, leaving the Hyuuga to retrieve his daughter from Hikari and return to his home.

Hizashi met his brother at the gate, a thin veneer of calm hiding his anxiety. When he caught sight of Hinata cradled in Hiashi’s arms, tension drained from his frame and his shoulders slumped imperceptibly with relief.

“Is everything alright, Nii-san?”

“That’s a good question,” the Clan Head murmured, much to the other’s confusion. Hizashi automatically took his niece when Hiashi placed her in his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Hizashi, pack enough clothes and necessities for Hinata and Neji for a week. Once you’re done, take them to my room and wait for me there.”

With that, he strode into the compound, leaving a stunned Hizashi to stare at his back. _‘Nii-san, what are you planning?’_ he thought, glancing at the little girl briefly. He had to swallow down the small amount of envy at the sight of her unblemished forehead, knowing that his own son would be branded with that accursed mark soon.

Hizashi shook himself; it was not the time to think of such things. Something told him that Hiashi’s order to him was to be a secret and so he kept to himself, out of sight of the other clansmen. He headed to his son’s room first, slipping inside quietly.

“Neji,” he called, shaking the boy’s shoulder to wake him up.

The four year old rubbed his eyes, only half awake. “Father? Is that Hinata-sama?”

“Yes. Nii-san brought her back.”

“Oh...that’s good.”

Hizashi smiled gently at his son, ushering him out of his futon. “Come now; Hiashi-sama has asked you to pack for a week.”

Neji frowned, not sure why he had to do so. “Did Hiashi-sama say why, Father?”

“No, he did not. But it is not our place to question him.” Hizashi nudged him towards his table. “Quickly now.”

It didn’t take long to seal a few sets of clothes and other essentials into storage scrolls, the three Hyuuga out of the room in less than five minutes. Hinata’s room was next and they rapidly packed her things too, making their way to Hiashi’s quarters. His wife was inside, head snapping towards them at the sound of the door sliding open.

“Hinata!” Hitomi cried the moment she spotted her precious daughter in her brother-in-law’s arms and reached for her. She held the sleeping girl close, Hinata subconsciously recognizing her mother and curling into her warmth.

Hizashi and Neji stayed silent in the farthest corner of the room, giving mother and daughter their privacy. It took some time before Hitomi’s relieved sobs faded and she wiped her face, staring at Hinata with love. “Thank you, Hizashi.”

“It was Nii-san who rescued Hinata-sama, Hitomi-sama.”

“Not quite.”

Hiashi’s voice came from the door and they watched as he knelt in front of his family. “It was Uzumaki-san who saved her. I only arrived after the fact.”

“Uzumaki-san?”

“Uzumaki Hikari,” Hiashi explained, gesturing for his brother and nephew to join him. “She was taken by Kumo as well. But she managed to subdue them with her seals, saving herself and Hinata in the process.”

He quickly gave a short summary of what had transpired and also of the Clan Council meeting. Neji had fallen asleep on his father halfway into the explanation and so Hiashi had no problems speaking of things that a child should not need to hear.

“If it were not for Uzumaki-san, our Clan would be in a terrible dilemma.”

Hitomi choked on a sob, reaching for her husband with a trembling hand. “Then I am very grateful to the young lady. We must repay her somehow.”

“We will,” Hiashi agreed softly, unguardedly looking his brother straight in the eye for the first time in years. “Not only my daughter, but she saved my brother as well.”

Hizashi startled, shocked at the amount of emotion in his brother’s voice. “Me?”

“Would the Elders have allowed my death?”

“...no.”

“But the treaty would have to be fulfilled if we don’t want a war. The Elders would have made you a substitute.”

Hizashi understood; his Caged Bird Seal would have activated upon his death, sealing the Byakugan away. It would have been a win-win situation, as long as Konoha kept silent about the truth.

But thinking about it further, he realized that the clan wouldn’t have needed to order him to do it. Despite his anger and resentment towards the Main Family, Hizashi still loved his brother. And he would have given his life willingly if it meant that Hiashi would survive.

“If it could protect you...”

“No,” Hiashi cut him off fiercely, pale eyes blazing with a fury that Hizashi had not seen since their younger years. “I allowed my pride to cause this rift between us, brother. No longer will I stand for it.”

Inhaling deeply, the Clan Head suppressed his rampaging emotions. He supposed that the knowledge that his family could have been torn apart so easily had shaken him more than he had expected. “Have you done as I asked, Hizashi?”

“Yes,” the younger twin held up two storage scrolls. “But why do you need them?”

“I’ve asked Fugaku to house Hinata and Neji until the incident with Kumo is resolved.” Hiashi shook his head regretfully when Hitomi tried to protest. “It is possible that they might take advantage of the uncertainty to stage another kidnapping attempt.”

Hizashi sensed there was something his brother was not telling him; he was already thrown off by the protectiveness Hiashi had displayed towards him mere minutes ago and wasn’t sure he would take more surprises. “Why Neji as well? Wouldn’t it be easier to place the cursed seal on him?”

The moment those bitter words slipped from his lips, he stiffened, no doubt expecting the surge of pain that came from the Caged Bird Seal being activated. But time ticked by and nothing happened, only silence in the room.

Raising his gaze to meet his brother’s, Hizashi was startled by the amount of pain and regret in those eyes so very identical to his. “Nii-san?”

“I will not allow Neji to bear the burden of that curse.”

Hiashi’s proclamation was met with stunned silence. Hizashi crushed the surge of hope at those words and looked back with an emotionless expression, “You do not mean that.”

“He’s not lying,” interrupted Hitomi, smiling gently at her brother-in-law. “It is why he requested to house the Kumo delegation.”

“Hitomi...”

“Hush, dear. Your brother deserves to know,” the woman chastised her husband before turning back to Hizashi. “Hiashi intended to delay Neji’s sealing with the excuse that it would be improper to do it in front of foreigners and use that time to find a way to prevent it entirely.”

“Nii-san...why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up,” Hiashi admitted, uncomfortable at the scrutiny. “If I failed, it wouldn’t matter if you knew.”

Hizashi forcibly reigned in his emotions, lowering his head a little. He wasn’t sure about what he was feeling. Hope was such a fickle thing...

“For now, we must leave for the Uchiha compound. We will speak about this matter when we return, Hizashi.”

“...I’ll hold you to that, Nii-san.”

* * *

Mikoto hurried to the door the instant she felt her husband’s chakra. He had been called away in the middle of the night on important business and she had noticed the uneasy air in the village. She hadn’t missed Shisui being summoned either.

“Fugaku, what happened?”

“Kumo betrayed us,” he said shortly, leading his wife into the kitchen. Fugaku poured himself a glass of water, turning around in time to see his eldest son walk in. Itachi likely hadn’t slept, not since he had woken up when the messenger had arrived hours ago.

“Father.”

“Itachi,” Fugaku waved him over to take a seat at the table. His son might be young but he was a Genin and quite powerful for his age. Quickly going over the events of the past few hours, he sat back to analyse their reactions.

Mikoto, as expected, was horrified at the thought of two children being in danger, though she did not show it completely on her features.

Itachi, on the other hand...

The eight year old had remained impassive through most of Fugaku’s explanation but he had caught the flicker of emotion that crossed his face for an instant when he mentioned the Uzumaki girl. He had also noted his nephew’s reaction to the redhead during the meeting and he did not think it was a coincidence that Shisui was assigned to guard her.

“Do you know Uzumaki Hikari personally, Itachi?” Fugaku questioned his son, who looked back at him with a blank stare.

Itachi slowly nodded, “Hikari is teaching Shisui and I Fuuinjutsu. She is...a friend.”

A dark eyebrow rose in surprise; the boy never allowed himself to get attached to anyone. Shisui and Sasuke were the only people he ever smiled around; somehow this girl had gotten his son to consider her a friend.

Itachi asked a question of his own, “Is she safe?”

“She is unharmed,” Fugaku confirmed, turning to his wife. “Mikoto, would you be able to prepare one of the larger guestrooms? We will be housing some children until the situation with Kumo stabilizes.”

Mikoto voiced her acquiescence; she suspected that it was the Uzumaki children. “Of course. How many guests are we expecting?”

“Four. The two Uzumaki children and Hiashi’s daughter and nephew.”

That earned a surprised glance from his wife; she knew that the two men never saw eye to eye. Fugaku and Hiashi weren’t exactly at the other’s throats but they clearly held disdain for one another. Mikoto decided to ask, “I understand the Uzumaki but the Hyuuga too, Fugaku?”

Fugaku gave her a thin smile. “Hiashi feels that Kumo might try to take them again during the renegotiations for the treaty. The Uchiha compound is the most defended in Konoha; it is ideal to keep all the targets in one place to better protect them than to scatter our forces.”

Mikoto didn’t quite believe him, but didn’t pry. If he wanted to keep his secrets, he could. Besides, she was finally going to get the chance to see her best friend’s son and for that, she would do anything. _‘Kushina would be so disappointed that this is what it took for me to even see the child,’_ she thought sorrowfully.

Getting up from her seat, Mikoto informed the two males at the table, “I shall go prepare the room now, since I believe that the children will be arriving soon.”

Itachi stood to follow his mother but was stopped, “Stay for a minute, Itachi.”

The boy paused and looked at his father, giving him a nod before sitting back down.

Fugaku stared at his son; he had been cataloguing both Shisui and Itachi’s reactions whenever the Uzumaki girl was mentioned. It was something that had sparked his curiosity and he needed to know why both boys were familiar with her. Learning Fuuinjutsu from the girl did not mean they had to be more than acquaintances.

“You said you know Uzumaki-san and even call her a friend. Why?”

Itachi didn’t reply immediately, sharp eyes watching his father with an analytical glint. “It was Shisui who met her first,” he started, finding only curiosity in the man’s expression. “She helped him.”

He proceeded to narrate the incident that happened in the market over two months ago. The first time Itachi had met her in the forest was explained too, making Fugaku narrow his eyes at the mention of the sabotaged seals that could have hurt his son.

“Hikari does not look at us the same way others do, Father.”

“What do you mean?”

“The villagers hold fear and anger towards us; the shinobi, wariness. It may have reduced a little in the previous months but the negativity is still there.”

Fugaku turned contemplative at that, dots starting to connect one by one. But before he could come to a conclusion, he needed more answers. “And how does Uzumaki-san look at you?”

“With kindness,” came the prompt reply. Itachi had lost some of his standoffish attitude, visible warmth in his dark eyes. “Shisui says that Hikari doesn’t hold us to preconceived notions and I agree.”

“You like her,” Fugaku stated, no hint of a question in his voice.

Itachi looked back at him, solemn. “I do.”

That was enough for the Uchiha Clan Head to put together one of the puzzles he had noticed. There were more and he was sure that the Nara had a lot of the pieces but there were only a few that Fugaku needed.

“During the Clan Council meeting in October,” Fugaku started, fixing his son with a serious expression that was returned, “the three Advisors were planning to act on the rumour about our clan.”

The boy understood immediately; the rumour his father spoke of could only be about _that_ incident.

“If they had had their way, there is a high possibility that we would have been isolated from the village. Our reputation would have greatly suffered and I am certain that the Elders wouldn’t have stood for it.”

Itachi frowned; the Clan Council meetings were something his father never spoke of, not even to his mother. If he was telling him this, there had to be a reason for it. “But it didn’t happen.”

Fugaku inclined his head, “Shikaku spoke up for us, followed by the rest of the clan heads. But it was Hokage-sama who prompted him in the first place.”

“I don’t understand, Father,” the young Uchiha shook his head, not privy to the information Fugaku possessed.

“Hokage-sama has never supported us, Itachi.” The Uchiha head stood up, taking his cup to the sink. “Even if he never spoke against us, he never stopped the Advisors from belittling us.”

He had to keep himself from crushing the cup in his hands, recalling the helpless rage that had engulfed him whenever his clan’s name had been dragged through the mud. The other clan heads, like Inoichi or Shibi, would redirect the conversation then, but the damage had been done.

It was why Fugaku had been surprised when the Sandaime had sharply rebuked Koharu and Homura; even _Danzo_ hadn’t been spared. He hadn’t been the only one to wonder about the Professor’s sudden change in attitude.

“But since then, Hokage-sama has shut down any attempt against us. I originally thought he had realized that we had no fault. It seems that it is not the case.”

“You are saying that Hikari has a hand in this,” Itachi stood too, watching his father closely. Could it be possible that his friend was manipulating the Hokage from the shadows?

Fugaku nodded. “I do. Tonight, Uzumaki-san allowed none of the Advisors to walk over her, openly showing her disdain towards them. Hokage-sama is also quite fond of her and that is why I believe that she is the reason behind his sudden proactive stance.”

He paused, meeting his son’s eyes. “It is why I want to know what you think of her. Will Uzumaki-san be our ally, even if everyone turns against us? Or will she lead us to our doom?”

Itachi didn’t hesitate for even a split second, answering, “Hikari does not care for our name as Uchiha, Father. I believe that as long as we do not stray from the right path, she will stand by us.”

Fugaku chuckled at the bold declaration, his usually stony expression shattering. “It is unlike you to have so much faith in another person, Itachi. I will reserve my judgement till I know her better. For now, I have a mission for you. As long as Uzumaki-san resides in the Uchiha compound and you do not have other duties to attend to, you will protect her.”

“Understood.”

Mikoto was just pulling some blankets out of a closet when Itachi appeared at her elbow, taking them from her. “Let me help, Mother.”

“Thank you, Itachi,” she murmured softly, smiling at her son as she instead grabbed a few pillows and closed the closet. They headed to the guestroom in silence, placing the items near the futons that had already been laid out.

Itachi was straightening out a few wrinkles on the blankets when his mother spoke, “Would you be fine with sharing your room with Shisui? He is assigned to guard the Uzumaki children, isn’t he?”

“It is fine, Mother and he is to protect Hikari specifically,” the boy corrected, nodding in answer to the two questions. “Kumogakure doesn’t know of Naruto-kun; if they did, he would have been taken too.”

Mikoto understood what her son was saying; Kumogakure probably wouldn’t have cared about political repercussions if they had known about the blond child’s existence. _‘They won’t be so blind as to not recognize him as Minato’s son, even if they don’t realize Kushina’s relation to him. And as a JInchuuriki, Naruto-kun would be a great asset to them as well.’_

That was one more thing she had to thank Hikari for; if she hadn’t prioritized his safety and hidden him behind seals, the Kumo nin would have detected his chakra, killing him if they didn’t recognize him or taking him if they did.

Though Mikoto had to wonder why Hikari hadn’t done it for herself.

“Is something wrong, Mother?”

Mikoto shook herself at the question, Itachi frowning at her worriedly. “No, it’s nothing. Come,” she said, rising to her feet as the doorbell rang, “our guests have arrived.”

Itachi obediently followed after her, making their way to the front door. An ANBU, Hound, was talking to Fugaku and behind them were the Uzumaki children and Shisui.

Mikoto froze the moment her eyes fell on the redhead, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. _‘She looks so much like Kushina...’_

If it weren’t for the shape and colour of the girl’s eyes, Mikoto would say that she was looking at the Academy version of her best friend.

Fortunately for her, nobody noticed her reaction; Itachi had already moved away to the little group, speaking to the girl. It gave her time to gather herself but by the time Mikoto felt calm enough to play the part of hostess, Hound had already left.

“Mikoto.”

She glanced up at her husband, shaking her head a little at the hint of concern in Fugaku’s gaze. He did not question her, instead saying, “I need to see to the security around Konoha. Will you be fine watching the children? Hiashi should be here soon.”

Mikoto nodded, regaining her composure. “Of course.”

With a quick conversation with Itachi and Shisui, the Uchiha left the house, leaving Mikoto in the presence of four children.

“Uchiha-san,” the Uzumaki girl spoke up with a smile, bowing her head a little in greeting. “Thank you for allowing us to stay here.”

“Please call me Mikoto,” the dark haired woman offered, already able to separate her lost friend from the girl in front of her. Kushina was never quite so polite at that age and their mannerisms, while similar, were still different. “May I address you by your given name, Uzumaki-san?”

Hikari gave her a cheerful grin, “Sure, Mikoto-san!”

Mikoto smiled, unable to resist the girl’s charm, eyes flickering to the little boy sleeping in her arms. Hikari noticed the gaze but didn’t say anything. “If you don’t mind, could you show us where we’ll be staying? It’s been a long night.”

“Oh, of course! This way,” the Uchiha Matriarch gestured towards the stairs to the second floor. “I hope you don’t mind sharing a room with two more children, Hikari.”

“I don’t, but who are they?” Hikari asked as she followed the woman, ignoring that Shisui was held back by Itachi. She suspected that the younger boy was demanding some explanation from the Jounin.

“Hiashi has asked us to have his daughter and nephew over for a while,” Mikoto explained, sliding the door open to reveal the large room. “Since they are quite young as well, Fugaku prefers to keep all of you together.”

“That’s fine; more friends for Naruto to play with,” the young girl replied absently as she placed the blond on one of the futons. Naruto snuffled and turned away from her, burying his face into the pillow.

Mikoto watched the scene silently, Hikari patting the blond’s head gently as she lost herself in thought. It was almost scary how much the redhead looked like her friend and she had to wonder if there was some kind of connection between the two redheaded Uzumaki.

 _‘If Kushina had a daughter, I think she would be like Hikari,’_ Mikoto mused, not knowing how right she actually was. It was likely that she never would.

“Hikari?”

The girl snapped out of her daze, blinking at the woman. “What is it?”

“Naruto-kun...” Mikoto hesitated, not sure how to frame her question. “Is he...how is he?”

Hikari considered her, scanning her face to gauge her intentions. Uchiha Mikoto was not someone she had known in her world, apart from the fact that she was Itachi and Sasuke’s mother. Speaking of Sasuke...she could feel his chakra two rooms away.

_‘I wonder if he would get along with Naruto.’_

Ruthlessly pushing down the memories that welled up, of the last moments of her friend in another world, Hikari focussed on Mikoto’s question.

“He’s fine,” she replied with a wry smile. “Just...a little lonely.”

“Lonely?”

Hikari nodded, shifting her gaze to her brother -and it was still weird to call her counterpart that- and pulling up the blankets to his chin when he shivered. “I’m the only one always with him. Kakashi-nii tries, but he has missions and Jiji is the Hokage so that’s a no there; Shikamaru could be considered a friend but they’ve only met once last week. And Naruto’s afraid of the villagers.”

Mikoto swallowed and built up the courage to ask about the one thing that had been bothering her ever since she had heard about it. “I heard about the orphanage. That they threw him out.”

While Fugaku normally never told his family about the Clan Council meetings, he had made an exception towards information about Naruto. The child was, after all, the son of both their best friends.

Hearing the news about the orphanage had enraged Mikoto to the point that she nearly made an attempt to burn the damn place to ashes. Only Fugaku’s explanation that the child was no longer there but in a safe place had calmed her enough to see reason.

“They did,” Hikari’s voice broke through her thoughts and Mikoto raised her head to see piercing blue eyes watching her with a neutral expression. “We found him in the Red Light District, hurt and scared. I made a promise then, to protect him.”

Those brilliant blue eyes dimmed, flickering back to Naruto as Hikari whispered, “He’s all I have left.”

After a few moments of quiet, Hikari cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha woman. “Why do you ask?”

“I...,” Mikoto wasn’t sure if she should answer, but something compelled her to tell the truth. She admitted, “I knew his mother.”

Hikari was surprised; that was something she didn’t know. “Really? How?”

“I’m not sure if I can tell you.”

Seeing that Mikoto was reluctant to reply, the redhead wondered why. Then something hit her and she perked up, “Ah. Is it because Jiji implied that Naruto’s parents’ friends shouldn’t approach him?”

Now it was Mikoto’s turn to be shocked; how could Hikari know that?

“How...?”

“It’s not hard to see it,” Hikari shrugged, expression sheepish. “Naruto looks way too much like Namikaze Minato. I doubt that all of the Yondaime’s friends didn’t care about his son. So the only explanation was that someone told them not to see him, someone with enough authority to say such a thing.”

Mikoto had to suppress the urge to cry. _‘Hikari, who is from outside the village, immediately realized the truth of Naruto-kun’s father but the village can’t see the legacy of their beloved Yondaime?’_

Hikari softened at the sorrow in the woman’s expression and took her hand, offering her a reassuring smile. “Mikoto-san, if you don’t mind, could you tell Naruto about his parents sometime? Or at least, about his mother? He deserves that.”

“But, the Sandaime...”

“I already made him revoke that stupid statement, don’t worry about it. Please?”

It was all Mikoto ever wanted and there was only one answer she could possibly give. “Yes.”

Hikari brightened, her smile lighting up the room. “Thank you, Mikoto-san!”

Mikoto managed to smile back, realizing something. Naruto wasn’t the only one who deserved to know about Uzumaki Kushina. Hikari did too, being one of the last of the Uzumaki Clan.

_‘Now I know why Itachi likes her.’_

“Rest now, Hikari. We can talk in the morning,” Mikoto suggested, getting to her feet. The redhead nodded, whispering a ‘good night’ as the Uchiha left the room. She headed to the living room, intending to wait for the Hyuuga’s arrival, smiling slightly as she sensed Itachi and Shisui approach the guestroom. It seemed that the boys wanted to check on their friend.

 _‘Uzumaki Hikari, huh...’_ Mikoto thought as she settled at the kotatsu. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders, the opportunity to care for her best friend’s child being the best thing ever granted to her. She would not fail Kushina.

* * *

Hikari sighed, exasperated by the two idiots who hovered just outside her room. She raised her voice slightly, calling out to them.

“Boys, get in here.”

The door slid open a bit, Shisui poking his head in. “You sure?”

Walking over to the boy, Hikari smacked him on the head and then grabbed his collar, dragging him inside. “Itachi, if you don’t want me to do the same to you, get inside.”

The younger Uchiha slipped in quietly, closing the door behind him. Itachi watched with amusement as Hikari released Shisui, the boy falling face first into the futon with a muffled thud.

“Hikari-chan, that’s mean!”

“Quiet. If you wake Naruto, I’ll do worse than drop you on the ground.”

Shisui gulped, well aware of the very real threat in the girl’s voice. He sat up, crossing his legs under him and watched as Hikari mimicked his position. Glancing at the still standing Itachi, Hikari patted the spot next to her, inviting him to sit down too.

Itachi sank down on the indicated spot, dark eyes scanning every inch of his friend for injuries. “Are you truly unhurt?”

Hikari huffed, beginning to get annoyed by the sheer number of times she had been asked that question. “I’m _fine_ , Itachi. The Kumo idiot only knocked me out and after that I managed to avoid any hits.”

Choosing to accept that answer, Itachi said, “Father told Mother and me what happened. I thought you had a barrier around your house.”

“It wasn’t strong enough against the Kumo nin,” Hikari hid a wince. She didn’t mind lying to the others but Shisui and Itachi were her friends. It wasn’t as if it was a complete lie though; the barrier had been weak but it had been she who had made it so.

Shisui frowned, feeling that something wasn’t quite right but not knowing exactly what. He didn’t think too hard about it though. “You said that you took them down with paralysis seals. How did you even think of that in that situation?”

That was something she didn’t need to lie for, so Hikari responded with hidden relief. “It’s not the first time someone tried to kidnap me,” she admitted, remembering the times she had been hunted by the Akatsuki and then Kaguya. “I knew I had to keep calm if I wanted to escape. Killing them was impossible, so I used my seals. Thankfully, they didn’t notice anything off about my bracelet and take it.”

“That was a stroke of good luck,” Shisui agreed, slinging an arm around the girl’s shoulders. Hikari raised an eyebrow but didn’t shake him off, so he grinned. “The Hyuuga owe you a debt now, you know.”

“What?”

Chuckling at the redhead’s bewildered expression, Itachi explained, “You saved the life of their Heiress, Hikari. In a clan, the lives of the Heads and Heirs are highly valued.”

“That means you could ask them for anything you want!”

Hikari blinked at Shisui’s proclamation and tilted her head in thought. “Huh. Does that mean I can ask them to get rid of their stupid cursed seal and they’ll have to accept it?”

Shisui and Itachi stared blankly at the girl; she could ask for anything, money, power, even acceptance into the clan but she wanted _that_? Something that would not benefit her in any way?

“Don’t look at me like that,” Hikari grumbled, crossing her arms defensively. “I just think it’s stupid to seal a part of your own family. I mean, they’re practically branding them like slaves!”

“You probably shouldn’t say something like that in front of a Hyuuga though.”

Just as Shisui spoke the words, Hikari realized something and her head snapped towards the closed door. “Too late,” she muttered, marching towards the door and sliding it open to reveal Mikoto accompanied by the Hyuuga twins and their children.

The Uchiha boys stiffened, shooting to their feet but remained in place. Hikari wasn’t too worried though; from what she could see, there was a trace of amusement in Mikoto’s dark eyes and Hiashi merely raised an eyebrow at her while Hizashi looked pained.

When none of the three adults spoke, Hikari shifted from the doorway, allowing the Hyuuga to enter the room. Mikoto stayed at her side, watching the men gently lay their slumbering children on a futon each. Hiashi straightened, staring straight into impassive blue eyes with a considering expression. Not one to be intimidated, Hikari returned the stare head-on.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“Everything from when the debt was mentioned.”

“I see.”

Hiashi didn’t respond further, turning back to look over Hinata and placed the scroll containing her belongings near her pillow. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hizashi doing the same with Neji.

It was as they were exiting the room that Hiashi suddenly spoke, “Would you, Uzumaki-san?”

Hikari, who had moved back to Shisui and Itachi, spun around on her heel to face the Hyuuga head. “Would I what?”

“Ask for the abolition of the Caged Bird Seal,” Hiashi clarified with a calculating glint in his eyes as he stared back at the girl.

Hikari shrugged, not really caring about what the Hyuuga wanted, “I would. A cursed seal like that is something I really hate.” She didn’t say anything more, not wanting her emotions to slip. The sight of an _unmarked Neji_ had already thrown her off.

Hiashi scanned her expression one last time and gave a sharp nod, sweeping out the room with Hizashi at his heels. Smiling at the three awake children, Mikoto closed the door as she left, presumably to see the Hyuuga off.

“What was that all about?” Shisui finally broke the silence, scratching his head in confusion. He had expected the Hyuuga Clan Head to get angry and berate the redhead for her crass words, not ignore them and question if she would actually go through with her claim.

“No idea,” Hikari replied absently, tracking the two Hyuuga via their chakra as they left the Uchiha compound. Something about Hiashi’s countenance and Neji’s presence alongside Hinata tipped her off.

_‘Didn’t Neji say that he was sealed on the morning of Hinata’s third birthday?’_

She attempted to recall what Neji had told her during their fight in the Chuunin exams and was fairly certain he had received the Caged Bird Seal _before_ Hinata’s kidnapping.

 _‘Is this another difference?’_ Hikari thought, gazing at the young form of her friend. _‘Even Hiashi-san feels kinder, although his cold chakra when I met him in my world could be because of the pressure from his clan.’_

Perhaps....

Shisui sighed, smiling fondly at his friend. The Uzumaki’s thoughts were clearly written on her face and he could tell what she was going to decide before she even realized it. He knew Itachi had reached the same conclusion, judging by the small smile that was just hidden behind the collar of his shirt.

“Really, Hikari-chan, no one in this world could be like you.”

Said girl snorted, shaking her head. “He’s part of the Branch Family, isn’t he?” she murmured, pointing at the Hyuuga boy.

“Hyuuga Neji,” supplied Itachi, rather knowledgeable about all the clans’ families. “He’s the son of Hyuuga Hizashi and nephew to Hyuuga Hiashi.”

Hikari closed her eyes and nodded to herself, unsealing a set of nightclothes from one of her storage seals. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Last door on the left.”

“Thanks.”

Before she could leave though, Shisui asked, “Are you going to really ask the Hyuuga to get rid of the Caged Bird Seal?”

The redhead paused at the door, grinning over her shoulder at the Uchiha, “You already know, Shisui, so why are you asking?”

Shisui had to smother his laughter; he knew _exactly_ what the girl was thinking. Things at the Hyuuga compound were bound to get interesting in the coming days.

“Knowing Hikari, she wouldn’t stop at getting the seal abolished,” Itachi spoke from next to Shisui, amusement evident in his voice.

“Yeah, she’d probably whip up a counter seal soon enough and go around removing the cursed seal from every Hyuuga Branch Family member. And you know, I think Hiashi-sama will allow it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure Hiashi and Fugaku were a little (perhaps a lot) OOC here, but I don't care. I already mentioned that canon does not apply either to Hikari's world or the current one.  
> Please don't come at me spouting facts about canon, because I do know what happens in canon. I try to do a lot of research before I write a chapter and honestly, if you want canon, why are you in a fanfiction site in the first place?
> 
> Sorry about the rant but I felt it had to be said.  
> You're free to state your opinions but there's no point in stating facts about canon.  
> Please don't make me rant again or else I'll consider moderating comments.
> 
> On a lighter note, what did you think about the chapter?  
> For me, it was fun exploring how Hiashi and Fugaku could be if they stopped putting their pride and clan before everything else. Those two probably won't be the best of friends but I do think they could get along.
> 
> NanamiUzumaki15249, I'm looking forward to your reaction the most! I had already written the part with Mikoto before you commented and I'm hoping this met your expectations!
> 
> Next chapter is still in progress, so I can't reveal anything yet. I don't think I'll cover the negotiations with Kumo descriptively, since politics is hell to write. So that will probably just get a mention or I'll expand on its impacts.
> 
> And don't worry, the Uzumaki-Nara dinner will happen eventually.
> 
> I haven't planned for Hikari to go Jinchuuriki or Akatsuki hunting anytime soon, because she really doesn't need to. She didn't come to this world on purpose, so she's just focusing on her precious people and making a life for herself in Konoha. Of course, she'll change things but nothing that directly affects anything outside Konoha.
> 
> (Unrelated, but when I was writing this chapter, I went hunting for images of Shisui and Itachi as children. Does anyone else want to squeal at their cuteness and just hug them tight? I just love those boys so much!)
> 
> (Also, my new profile picture was created using an online character creator; it's not as accurate as I'd like it to be, but it's how I imagine Hikari. I can't draw to save my life so had to resort to character creators.)
> 
> Posted: 12/06/2020


	10. Hot chocolate, cuddles and snowball fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst and fluff. Mostly fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has no real plot, I think....  
> My imagination ran away from me with a tiny idea I had when I was writing and this is the result.  
> I didn't mean for it to end up so long; this chapter crossed 10k words.
> 
> In any case, happy reading~
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

_There was blood coating her arms and torso, staining her clothes red. But it was not hers; although tired and low on chakra, she did not have a scratch on her._

_“Don’t you dare die on me, Neji!”_

_The Hyuuga male, even paler than normal due to the blood rapidly draining from his body, managed a small smile at the girl holding him. “You m-must...live on...Naruto-san...”_

_“No, no, no! I won’t let you die! Someone, please! We need a medic!”_

_A trembling hand touched her cheek, making her look back at the dying boy, tears streaming down her cheeks. She cradled Neji’s hand with her own, knowing that it was too late but unwilling to give up._

_“Neji...”_

_“P-Protect...Hinata-sama...a-and the...future...”_

_The green mark of the Caged Bird seal faded into nothing, as Neji closed his eyes, sealing his Byakugan away. It was further proof that he was gone, that his soulless body was all that was left._

_“NO!”_

_She was staring helplessly at the disappearing backs of Tsunade and Shizune, who were running towards the approaching army of White Zetsu._

_“You should leave, Naruto-san.”_

_Her head whipped around at the voice, blue eyes connecting with the white ones of the last Hyuuga. Hinata gently took hold of her friend’s hand, urging her to leave along with the retreating survivors of Konoha._

_“Hinata-chan?”_

_“I’m going to help Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san to give everyone time to escape. Please leave immediately, Naruto-san.”_

_She shook her head desperately, grabbing the Hyuuga in a tight embrace. “No! I promised Neji that I’d protect you! You can’t.... don’t leave me too.”_

_Hinata patted the sobbing girl’s back comfortingly, knowing very well that she was going to her death. But if it meant that the others could get away safely, then she would gladly do it._

_“Kakashi-san,” she spoke, grim but determined eyes trained on the Copy-nin who took a step closer to the two girls. “Please take care of Naruto-san.”_

_When the man gave her a nod of reply, Hinata shoved her friend into Kakashi’s arms and immediately took off. Held back by the steel-like grip, the blue-eyed girl could do nothing but cry and scream at the fading form of the other girl._

_“HINATA-CHAN!!!”_

_She ducked the Gudoudama aimed at her head, stabbing at a Zetsu clone that tried to grab her arm with a kunai. Leaping away from another clone, her back hit another person’s._

_“How’re you holding up, Sasuke?”_

_“Low on chakra,” the Uchiha ground out, cutting through a group of Zetsu clones with his Kusanagi. They had been separated from Minato and Obito by Black Zetsu and now had to deal with the near infinite number of clones and Kaguya herself._

_“I’m low too,” the girl admitted, forming a normal Rasengan in her left hand. “Kurama hasn’t recovered yet, either.”_

_“Tch. Not enough chakra for the Hiraishin?”_

_“No- dammit! Stupid clones, just die already!” she yelled as she used the only Rasengan she could manage against the White Zetsu that ran at her._

_Distracted by the swarming army, she didn’t notice the Tomogoroshi no Haikotsu being fired at her, sensing the bone projectile far too late to even attempt to dodge._

_Black covered her vision, arms wrapping around her waist; Sasuke channelled his last reserve of chakra, using his Rinnegan’s Amenotejikara to swap them with a rock in the distance._

_“Sasuke!”_

_“Hn. You should be more careful, dobe.”_

_“Yeah, yeah; thanks, teme. Wait, are you okay?” she questioned worriedly as the dark-haired teen dropped to his knees, an arm wrapped around his torso. It was then that she noticed the ash coloured bone protruding from his lower back._

_“You idiot!”_

_She panicked, dredging up the last wisps of her chakra in an attempt to use her Yin-Yang Release to heal him. A pale hand grasped her wrist before she could do so, Sasuke coughing up blood as he glared at her._

_“You know that won’t work, dobe,” he stated calmly, as if he wasn’t bleeding from multiple gashes at the same time as his body was disintegrating. Unable to hold himself up any longer, Sasuke fell forward and was quickly caught by the girl._

_“If you had enough chakra to use your Rinnegan, you should have used it on the ash bone instead!” she screamed into the Uchiha’s ear, feeling his life force fading away little by little._

_“Heh,” Sasuke smirked weakly, looking up at the only person he had ever recognized as his friend. “Looks like I was the dobe for once.”_

_“Stupid teme,” she sobbed, hugging the dying Uchiha tight. “Everyone’s already gone...you can’t leave me too...”_

_“Sorry, Naruto.”_

_The girl collapsed on the ground, shaking with the force of her cries. All that was left of her last friend was the ash on her clothes and she finally lost it, screaming to the bloody sky._

“Hikari-chan!”

“Hikari!”

The urgent yet hushed call of her name broke through the fog of her memories returning as nightmares and Hikari shot up, gasping for air. Her clothes were drenched in sweat and she could feel the drying remnants of tears on her skin.

Shisui and Itachi were kneeling on either side of her futon, about a foot away so as to not crowd her. Both of them had awakened at the jolt of sheer terror and deep sorrow that had suddenly spiked through the female Uzumaki’s chakra and had run out of their bedroom.

Expecting to find an attacker or something of the sort, neither Uchiha were prepared to find Hikari tossing under the quilt, face twisted in pain. She was mumbling unintelligibly, and tears were streaming down her cheeks like rivers.

They weren’t sure what to do; a nightmare as violent as hers could be damaging to them and her if they tried to shake her awake but it wasn’t certain that she would hear them if they called out to her.

It was the blood that welled when Hikari bit her lip harshly, clearly in a subconscious attempt to stifle her cries, that made the boys move.

Shisui knelt at the girl’s right while Itachi did the same on her left. They didn’t bother with anything more than a cursory glance at the other children, still miraculously asleep. All of their attention was focused on the distressed redhead in front of them.

“Should we get Mother?”

Itachi’s question was valid, but Shisui wasn’t sure if it would be the right thing to do. While Hikari seemed comfortable with Mikoto, he didn’t think Hikari would like the woman to see her while in such a state. And Mikoto had clearly not sensed the redhead’s terror streaked chakra, evident by the way Shisui could sense his aunt’s chakra pulsing with the softness of sleep.

“No, I don’t Hikari-chan will like that,” the older boy replied, fingers twitching in an aborted motion to shake his friend awake.

“Don’t leave me...”

Both boys stiffened at the whimper that fell from Hikari’s lips; the Uzumaki was obviously calling out for someone in her nightmare. Unable to handle the way she shook with suppressed sobs, Shisui and Itachi finally resorted to calling her name, hoping that it would be enough.

Surprisingly, it worked. Blue eyes snapped open, terrified but unseeing and she shot up with a gasp. The Uchiha managed to hold back twin sighs of relief, still keeping their distance but waiting for cues from the redhead.

For her part, Hikari was frozen stiff. She barely noted the boys staring at her with open concern, sending out a weak pulse of chakra around her.

_Shisui._

_Itachi._

_Naruto._

_Hinata._

_Neji._

_Sasuke._

_Mikoto._

Hikari tagged each person as her chakra touched theirs, completely imperceptible to most of them, but enough for her to assess their wellbeing. Apart from Shisui and Itachi, who were clearly awake and right next to her, the others were perfectly fine and deep in peaceful sleep.

_“Kurama?”_

The redhead sank into her mindscape, seeking the comfort of her partner, who had never left her. Kurama responded, not saying a word as he smothered the girl with his tails. It was the first real nightmare Hikari had had since coming to this world; having the child versions of her lost friends around her had triggered it.

But in a way, it also helped; Hikari knew that Sasuke, Hinata and Neji were alive and safe, though she had yet to lay eyes on Sasuke. His chakra was so very different from what she remembered, light and unburdened instead of dark and pained.

Time passed in a daze, seconds or minutes or hours she did not know. Hikari could feel herself calming down, her heart rate dropping to something near normal. She took a deep breath to centre herself and dug herself out from Kurama’s tails.

_“How long was I unresponsive?”_

The fox grunted, eyeing his container with a bland expression. **_“Not long. Get out there, kit. Your Uchiha are worried.”_**

Hikari squinted at her partner. Did he really say that?”

_“Wait....do you actually like Shisui and Itachi?”_

**_“They are tolerable.”_ **

_“Huh....you’re weird, Kurama.”_

**_“Like you’re one to say that, brat,”_** the Bijuu snorted, swatting her with a tail and effectively tossing her out of the mindscape.

“Hikari-chan?”

Directing a weak smile to reassure a worried Shisui and utterly failing, Hikari raised a hand to rub her eyes. Although the last clutches of her nightmare might have released their hold on her, she still wasn’t completely back to normal.

“Sorry...did I wake you guys?”

“It’s fine,” Itachi interjected before she could go into a downward spiral. “We don’t mind.”

“Itachi...”

Hikari stared at the eight-year-old on her left who looked back at her with a warm expression. It was the most emotion she had ever seen on his face and knowing that it was for her made her feel a teensy bit happy, erasing some of the guilt.

“Are you feeling better now?” Shisui questioned softly, knowing that it wouldn’t be right to ask if she was fine. He inched closer to his friend in the hope that his presence would calm her, like it had done in the Council meeting hours ago.

“I’m fine,” Hikari smiled blandly, knowing that it was an outright lie and that the boys knew it too. “Probably won’t be getting back to sleep though.”

Shisui exchanged a glance with Itachi, who nodded at him. Turning back to the redhead, the curly haired boy said, “Sorry if we don’t believe you, Hikari-chan,” and promptly scooped her up.

“Hey!”

“You’re too light; are you eating properly?”

“I am! And what are you doing, Shisui?! Put me down!”

“Nope!”

The older Uchiha boy grinned at the pouting girl, aware that if Hikari really wanted to, she could get out of his grasp easily. Since she only made a token protest, Shisui marched out of the room, Itachi darting past the pair once they crossed the door.

Hikari huffed, crossing her arms but didn’t protest. Honestly speaking, she didn’t want to be alone after that nightmare but didn’t know how to ask for it. Ignoring the way that Shisui’s arm around her shoulders made her relax, she finally realized that she was being carried _princess-style_.

“P-Put me down, idiot!” she yelled, smacking the boy’s shoulder. Hikari’s face was just as crimson as her hair, completely flustered.

Shisui ignored her flailing, a wide grin pasted on his face and made his way to the kitchen, dropping the girl into a chair. Itachi was already there, stirring something in a pan.

“Chocolate?” Hikari sniffed the air, the sweet smell of the treat permeating the room. Itachi nodded, taking the container of milk Shisui grabbed from the fridge. “Mother makes some for Sasuke and me sometimes.”

The redhead shook her head in resignation, leaning forward to rest her forehead on the table. Tuning out the little noise made by the Uchiha boys, Hikari thought back to her nightmare. _‘That’s the first nightmare in a while that’s been so bad. Good thing neither Shisui nor Itachi touched me; I might have hurt them badly.’_

It didn’t matter that she hadn’t had any weapons on her person at that time; her ability to place seals with a touch would have been enough. _‘I probably would have gone for the gravity seal, crushing them,’_ Hikari thought morbidly. She was feeling highly sickened at herself, knowing that she could have injured her friends or worse.

“Hey,” Shisui nudged her arm, making Hikari look up just as Itachi placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of her. “Drink up.”

She cradled the mug in both hands, feeling the heat warming her skin. “Thanks, Itachi,” the redhead murmured, taking a small sip. The drink tasted quite delicious, creamy but not too sweet. It made her smile absently, much to the delight of the two Uchiha watching her reaction closely.

* * *

The trio sat quietly at the table for a while, drinking their hot chocolate in comfortable silence. It was when Hikari’s mug was almost empty that Itachi cleared his throat, attracting the redhead’s attention.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

For all that she had relaxed, there were still some lingering shadows in Hikari’s aura. Her expressive blue eyes told it all.

Hikari felt conflicted; she had never talked to anyone about her nightmares before, not exactly having had anyone who would have known to ask. Iruka had been the closest she had had to family but even he hadn’t known about her bad nights and she had never told him.

But Shisui and Itachi were right in front of her, already having witnessed her caught in the darkest horrors her mind could conjure from her worst memories. It wasn’t as if they would press the issue if she didn’t want to talk. _‘I think that Shisui would rather wrap me in fluffy blankets and ensure I was happy than make me uncomfortable. And Itachi is too kind.’_

Ultimately, it was her choice.

 _‘They would be the last people to judge me,’_ Hikari decided, settling back in her chair. _‘I don’t have to tell them any specifics but just the general idea would do, I guess. Besides, don’t people say talking about things makes them easier to bear?’_

“It was something from before I came to Konoha.”

Shisui perked up, his attention on the girl opposite him. It was the first time Hikari ever mentioned anything about her past and it intrigued him, but not enough for him to upset his friend by asking.

It was obvious why she never spoke of it.

Hikari fiddled with the handle of her mug, not meeting either Uchiha’s eyes. “I was always fighting for my life, to just survive….it was like that for my friends and family. But in the end, I’m the last one left….”

She raised her head, staring blankly into the space between the boys. “Because they all gave up their lives for me.”

Although she had expected Hinata’s kidnapping, Hikari had not accounted for encountering her, Neji and Sasuke in such a short span of time. “It’s not the same but the thing with Kumo reminded me of those times. Like if I turn around, another one of my precious people will be dead.” She chuckled mirthlessly, dropping her gaze back to her empty mug. “I don’t want anyone dying for me anymore.”

It was true; although not everyone died protecting her, it was a fact that they did it _for_ her, believing in her, that she would be the one to save their world.

 _‘But I failed,’_ Hikari thought, fingers tightening around the empty mug. Tears were starting to form at the corners of her eyes, and she had to make a conscious effort to not start crying again. _‘I let them die in vain.’_

Gentle fingers touched the back of her hand and Hikari startled, focusing back on reality. Itachi was leaning across the table, looking at her with an intent gaze. There was no pity, for which Hikari was grateful for. He spoke in a soft tone, “I’m sure they would want you to live for them, Hikari. So, don’t feel guilty for their choices; it would be a disrespect to your friends.”

“I…”

“Itachi’s right, Hikari-chan,” Shisui added, coming over to stand next to the bewildered redhead and placed a hand on her shoulder. Both he and Itachi knew the pain of losing comrades; even if it wasn’t on the same level as Hikari, they could relate a little to her.

“Besides, even if it’s selfish of me, I’m grateful to your friends.”

“Huh?”

Shisui grinned at her while Itachi had his usual smile, both with a comforting light in their dark eyes. “They gave us the chance to meet you.”

The dam finally broke and Hikari threw herself at a startled Shisui, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his stomach with a sob. The boy didn’t hesitate despite his surprise; when he heard the soft sound filled with pain and sadness, he hugged her back just as tightly.

Itachi hurried around the table to the pair, stopping behind Hikari uncertainly. He wasn’t sure how to comfort someone and he hovered with uncharacteristic hesitance until Shisui gestured for him to come closer. Placing a hand on her back, Itachi patted the redhead gently, brushing through the long strands of hair.

Hikari didn’t say anything as she cried her heart out; it was the first time she had let out her emotions in front of another human. Kurama was different; as a Bijuu, he didn’t understand the way humans felt and reacted. For Hikari, he tried but there were some things only another human could offer.

There was no one around she needed to be strong for and she could finally admit something to herself. _‘I’m broken…but it’s okay. As long as I don’t shatter, as long as I have my friends…I will keep moving forward.’_

In her mindscape, Kurama opened one eye. He was following his Jinchuuriki’s thoughts, even if he hadn’t said a word or made any indication that he was doing so. **_‘Keh. Kit just keeps picking up ‘precious people’ like there’s no tomorrow.’_**

But he knew that every time that Hikari repeated her resolution to keep moving towards the future, she was just a little bit stronger. More confident in her choices, more assured in her stance. He wondered how she was going to change this world.

* * *

It was early in the morning when Fugaku finally returned to his house, sometime after seven. It had been tiring to go through all the holes in their security, assigning guards and setting up patrol rotations in a way that none of their forces were overworked but Konoha still had sufficient protection.

His wife met him at the door, smiling softly as usual but there was something gleeful in her eyes that made him curious. “What are you so happy about, Mikoto?”

She didn’t give him a verbal reply; instead, Mikoto grabbed his arm and dragged him into the living room. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she excitedly pointed and almost squealed, “Look at them!”

Fugaku obediently turned in the direction she was pointing and froze at the sight.

The kotatsu had been brought out since it was cold, but that was not the point. It was the three children under it that caused his reaction.

Shisui was the furthest, back to the wall as he slept on his right. His left arm was thrown over Hikari’s middle and he was half curled around the redhead.

Itachi was on the girl’s other side, one arm pillowing his head while he held onto Hikari’s left hand with his free one. He was curled up tightly, facing the Uzumaki as he slept peacefully.

The redhead, obviously, was in the middle, completely at ease with the two boys on either side of her. Laying on her back, Hikari had her free hand resting on Shisui’s arm on her stomach, in an almost possessive grip. Looking closely, Fugaku could see that her hold on his son was the same. Her long hair was weaved into a loose braid and thrown over her shoulder, out of the way of their faces.

All in all, the three of them were perfectly comfortable with each other.

“Huh,” Fugaku managed rather eloquently.

Mikoto giggled at his side, much too enthralled by the cuteness of the children to be bothered by her husband’s shock. “Itachi is very close to Hikari, isn’t he?”

The man pulled himself together at the comment, shaking his head as he left the room. “He certainly trusts her very much,” he replied drily to Mikoto who had followed him. “Why are they there in the first place, instead of their rooms?”

Mikoto sobered up immediately. She had had the fright of her life when she hadn’t felt Itachi’s chakra when she had woken up; Shisui and Hikari were missing too and she had initially assumed that something terrible had happened.

Then her instincts kicked in and she did a sweep of the entire house, finally finding the three cuddled together under the kotatsu. The washed utensils on the kitchen counter and the lingering scent of chocolate told her what had probably happened.

“I think Hikari had a nightmare sometime earlier,” Mikoto revealed her theory to her husband, who listened closely. “She’s had a traumatic experience and even if she puts on a brave face, she must have been frightened.”

Fugaku wasn’t convinced; Hikari’s composure at the Council meeting didn’t speak of one who had been shaken by the kidnapping. She was calm, much too calm for a seven-year-old. Sure, she had displayed some uncertainty but that had been only for a moment.

 _‘I suspect that something else caused her bad night,’_ he thought absently as he nodded in response to Mikoto’s words. _‘It wouldn’t be farfetched to assume that it could be related to her past.’_

He had no intention of prying though; both Itachi and Shisui trusted her greatly and Fugaku held some amount of respect for the girl who could manipulate the Sandaime.

“She looks so much like Kushina.”

“What?”

Fugaku snapped out of his musings at the statement, looking at his wife in mild confusion.

“I’m talking about Hikari; when I first saw her, for a minute I thought that Kushina had somehow come back.” Mikoto smiled sadly at the remembrance of her best friend; she missed her more than she could handle.

“Could there be some relation?”

“I don’t know. Kushina never spoke of any close relatives, so…”

Shaking his head, the Uchiha Clan Head sighed. “There’s little to no information on the girl. If I hadn’t seen her with my own eyes, I would have thought she didn’t exist.”

“You don’t think she’s a spy, Fugaku?” Mikoto looked anxious; she didn’t want the Uzumaki to turn out to be an enemy after Konoha’s secrets.

“I doubt it,” her husband replied with a wry tone. “Hokage-sama trusts her enough to leave Uzumaki Naruto in her care and listens to her words. Even Shikaku does so and that man is hard to deceive.”

There was something more that was hidden from the rest of the village, Fugaku was sure. And Uzumaki Hikari was right in the middle of it. But she had only brought benefits for Konoha and its inhabitants so far and he had no reason to suspect her of ill intentions. For that alone, he was willing to give her the benefit of doubt.

Perhaps he might know the truth one day, perhaps not.

But if his family was safe, Fugaku was content to let things be.

Hikari shifted a little, slowly blinking her way to wakefulness. A weight on her stomach and a hand in hers reminded her of Shisui and Itachi’s presences on either side of her.

“Huh…right, that really happened.”

She wasn’t really embarrassed at breaking down in front of the boys, aware that they didn’t expect her to be put-together all the time. Hikari was more concerned about the number of times she had had a breakdown.

 ** _“Stop being so moody this early in the morning,”_** Kurama grumbled in their shared mindscape, tails swishing in annoyance. **_“I’m trying to nap.”_**

 _“All you do is nap, Kurama,”_ Hikari pointed out, unsuccessfully hiding a smile at the fox’s grumpy attitude. _“But this is the third time it’s happened.”_

 ** _“So? You went through something extremely traumatic that would have broken anyone else long ago,”_** the Bijuu snapped back, not liking how his container thought that since things were somewhat over, everything would go back to normal. **_“Even Mito and Kushina had what you humans call PTSD after their experiences and it was nothing compared to you.”_**

_“But I can’t keep doing that! I might hurt someone if I’m not careful!”_

**_“Don’t expect to heal in months, kit,”_** Kurama sighed, settling his head on his front paws as he stared at the pouting face of the redhead. **_“If you really feel that way, then I’ll take control of your body and stop you if necessary.”_**

Hikari reluctantly agreed to that compromise, having the feeling that she wasn’t done with breakdowns and nightmares yet.

Drawing out of her mindscape, she stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to move. She was quite comfortable where she was, but she knew she had to get up soon. _‘I guess it’s already way past dawn,’_ Hikari thought, glancing out the open window.

_‘Time to get up then.’_

She released her hold on Shisui’s arm, lifting the limb off her gently to not wake the boy. She let go of Itachi’s hand as well, flushing a little at the knowledge that she had clung to both Uchiha in her sleep. The fact that they did the same with her was a small comfort.

Hikari stood up, careful to not make a sound. Smiling fondly when Shisui sneezed a little and curled up tighter, she adjusted the blanket to cover the boys’ shoulders and stepped out of the living room.

“Oh, Hikari! Good morning.”

Mikoto’s voice came from to her left and she turned to face the woman with a smile as she returned the greeting. “Good morning, Mikoto-san! Fugaku-san is back?”

The older woman smiled faintly and nodded, “Yes. I presume you’re a sensor then?”

Hikari rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, “Yeah…still working on my range though.”

“I see. I’m surprised to see you up though; I thought you’d sleep a little longer,” Mikoto remarked, smiling with amusement when a flush crept up the girl’s neck.

_‘How adorable!’_

“You saw that?!”

Hikari squeaked, embarrassed; it was one thing to cuddle with Shisui and Itachi and another to have been spotted by their family. She vaguely recalled that one had to cross the living room to get to the rest of the house and was mortified to realize that Fugaku had probably seen the three of them as well.

Mikoto chuckled. “It was cute to see,” she said happily; Itachi had always been a little distant, even from his family and seeing him do something as adorable as cuddling with someone else had warmed her heart.

Running a hand over her face, Hikari sighed. _‘It was rather nice,’_ she admitted to herself reluctantly. All her life, she had been a rather tactile person, having been deprived of positive contact in her younger years. _‘Gah! I’m not going to let embarrassment stop me from cuddling with Shisui and Itachi if I want to!’_

Offering the Uchiha Matriarch an awkward smile, Hikari gestured to the stairs. “I should probably get to my room…Naruto might panic if he wakes up in an unfamiliar place without me.”

“Of course. Would you like some breakfast soon then, Hikari?”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself, Mikoto-san,” the redhead protested; she didn’t want the woman to go to unnecessary lengths just for her. “I’ll have it with everyone else.”

“I don’t mind, but if you say so,” Mikoto inclined her head in acquiescence, already thinking of how many people she needed to prepare food for. “I won’t keep you any longer then.”

Hikari grinned and dashed to the stairs, long crimson braid whipping through the air. “See you in a bit, Mikoto-san!”

* * *

The first thing Naruto registered when he woke up was, _‘Not my pillow.’_

His pillow was soft and fluffy, with orange covers. Not like this one, which was a little stiff and completely white.

“Nee-san?”

There was no response even after a few minutes, which scared Naruto. Hikari always answered him, having the almost scary ability to hear his voice no matter where she was in the house. He sat up, blinking confusedly at the dark blue comforter that slid off at the movement. He was on a futon, he was pretty sure of it, considering that he had seen a few tucked away in their storage room.

“Not home…”

That was the conclusion he reached, knowing very well that their house didn’t have a room like the one he was currently in. Naruto saw an undone futon next to his and realized that he probably hadn’t been alone for some time. But the silence was beginning to scare him. Loneliness was creeping in and he let out a sniff.

_‘I want Nee-san and Nii-san…’_

“Hello.”

“Eek!”

The startled blond squealed in fear at the sudden voice, leaping off the futon and sending the comforter flying. Holding the pillow in front of him like a shield, he peeked one scared blue eye out over the top when there were no further sounds.

A boy around his age with long black hair and strange white eyes was looking at him, an apologetic expression on his face. There was a little girl partly hiding behind him, with similar eyes but short dark blue hair.

“I’m sorry,” the boy apologized, bowing his head a little. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Naruto relaxed upon seeing that there were only other children like him in the room and felt a little silly for panicking. He dropped the pillow, hesitantly walking towards the pair. “It’s okay,” he said, a little confidence leaking into his voice when neither child reacted badly to him.

The other children at the orphanage always screamed and threw stuff at him if he tried to get near them. And they never said sorry to him.

Hinata watched curiously from behind her cousin as the blond boy approached them, realizing that the colour of his eyes was the same as the girl who had saved her in the forest. She ducked her head when the boy met her gaze, cheeks reddening.

“H-Hello,” the little girl managed to say to Naruto, squeaking when he grinned at her.

“Hi! I’m Uzumaki Naruto! What are your names?” Naruto said, pronouncing each syllable slowly in order to get the words correct. He felt proud to say his full name; this was the first time he had ever spoken to someone without his sister around.

“Hyuuga Neji,” the other boy answered with a tiny smile, then looked at the girl watching them over his shoulder. “Hinata-sama, please introduce yourself.”

The bluenette ducked her head again but looked up shyly after a few moments. “Hyuuga Hinata,” she whispered, almost inaudibly. Naruto blinked at that and looked at one Hyuuga to the other. “Brother and sister?” he questioned.

Neji shook his head, “We’re cousins.”

“Cousins…?”

“Their fathers are brothers, which makes them cousins.”

All three children turned in the direction of the voice, Naruto brightening at the sight of his sister standing at the door to the room. “Nee-san!”

“Good morning, Naru-chan,” Hikari smiled as the blond toddler ran to her, kneeling when he raised his arms for a hug. “I see you’re making friends.”

“Yeah!” Naruto beamed, dragging her by the hand to the other kids. “They’re Neji and Hinata!”

“Nice to meet you,” Hikari directed to the Hyuuga kids with a warm smile, feeling a little wistful at the tiny forms of her old friends. Neji was staring at her curiously while Hinata perked up in recognition.

“You’re from-!”

Hinata cut herself off, blushing darkly at the attention focused on her. Hikari, however, only laughed and nodded, “Yeah. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Neji looked between the two girls, recalling something that his uncle had mentioned back at the Hyuuga Compound. “You’re Uzumaki Hikari-san?”

When Hikari nodded in reply, the four-year-old got to his feet and bowed, “Thank you for saving Hinata-sama, Uzumaki-san.”

A hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair gently, making Neji look up in amazement. The redhead was smiling at him, a fond expression on her face as she replied, “You’re welcome, Neji, but there’s no need for formalities. Just call me Hikari.” She looked past him at his cousin, adding, “You too, Hinata.”

“Nee-san,” Naruto tugged on the female Uzumaki’s pants and when she looked at him, asked, “Where are we?”

“Remember when I told you about the clans in Konoha?” Hikari waited for his response and when he nodded, continued, “We’re at the Uchiha’s home.”

“Uchiha…” the blond boy slowly listed the clans he could remember and finally landed on the one he wanted. “The police?”

“Correct~”

Naruto lit up at the praise, cheering a little. Then he recalled something else and blinked, turning to stare at the other kids. “They are from Hyuuga clan?” he asked, not having connected the dots earlier.

“Yeah, Naru-chan,” Hikari ruffled his sunshine blond locks, making the child grin at her. “Good job remembering.”

“Why at Uchiha home?”

It was Hikari’s turn to blink, not knowing how to explain the kidnapping to the toddler. She finally settled on saying, “Some bad people tried to take me away last night, so we’re here to be safe from them.”

Naruto’s lower lip began to wobble when he processed that, blue eyes teary. “Nee-san hurt?” he asked with a sniff. “Won’t go away?”

The redhead softened at the sight, pulling the blond into a hug. “No, Naru-chan. I promised to stay with you, right?” She had known that Naruto would not take the news of her kidnapping well; that’s why she hadn’t woken him up the previous night and instead let him sleep. Her presence would be enough to take his mind off the incident if she was the one to tell him.

Naruto nodded and pulled back, rubbing his face. “Sorry…”

“It’s alright!” Hikari chirped, clapping her hands together and grinning at all three younger children. “Now, why don’t we get cleaned up and go down for breakfast? Mikoto-san said it will be ready soon.”

Shisui stifled a yawn as he headed towards the guestroom, sensing that Hikari was with the younger kids, all of them awake. _‘I wonder if Sasuke will get along with them.’_

_He woke up under the kotatsu, Itachi rubbing his eyes like a cat next to him. Hikari was nowhere to be seen but he could feel her chakra signature somewhere in the house, so he wasn’t worried._

_“Morning, Itachi…”_

_“You have bedhead,” came the amused greeting from the Clan Heir and the Jounin huffed, running a hand through the curly strands in a half-hearted attempt to get his hair to behave._

_Mikoto chose that moment to drop in, smiling at the awake forms of her son and nephew. “Good morning, boys,” she said, the glee evident in her voice making both boys sweat drop. There was only one conclusion to be had: she had seen them snuggling, hadn’t she?_

_“Good morning, Mother,” Itachi greeted in a nonchalant tone, but the faint blush high on his cheeks gave away his embarrassment. “Is Hikari already awake?”_

_“Yes, she got up just a few minutes ago.” The woman was still smiling at them, something fond and warm in her gaze as she looked at the children. “Why don’t you and Shisui get cleaned up? Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.”_

_She got twin sounds of agreement and turned to leave the room, calling over her shoulder, “Itachi, wake Sasuke, please. And let your father sleep; he returned home only half an hour ago.”_

_Itachi responded in affirmation and turned to Shisui, the older boy rolling his eyes at the glint in his best friend’s eyes. Apparently, his efforts to tame his hair had failed and now Itachi was silently laughing at him._

_“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Shisui grumbled, getting to his feet and stretching his arms. “Not everyone can have silky hair like you and Hikari-chan.”_

Giggles interrupted his train of thought and Shisui realized that he had reached the guestroom. “Hikari-chan? Can I come in?”

“…sure.”

The boy paused at the somewhat dispirited tone but slid the door open and stepped inside, choking back a laugh at the sight that greeted him.

Hikari was sitting in front of the mirror, long hair parted into two. The Hyuuga children were handling one half and Naruto the other. It was clear that she was letting them braid her hair but judging by the mild wince that crossed her face when the blond accidentally tugged too hard, she was starting to regret that decision.

“A little gently, Naru-chan?”

“Sorry, Nee-san!” the blond giggled, crimson strands tangled in his fingers. He turned to look at the new person in the room, the Hyuuga children also pausing in their actions to stare at him.

“Hi! I’m Uchiha Shisui!” the boy grinned, starting a round of introductions. Once they were acquainted, the kids lost interest in him, returning to braiding the redhead’s hair.

The Hyuuga had teamed up and were actually pretty good at braiding for kids. Neji was brushing the thick locks every so often while Hinata twisted them into a neat braid.

Naruto’s braid was, for lack of better words, utterly horrendous. It was messy, hair sticking out everywhere and the twists were loose, falling apart whenever he loosened his grip.

Shisui chuckled at the despairing look Hikari shot him and took a seat next to the blond. “Mind if I help, Naruto?”

The three-year-old huffed, glaring at the Uchiha, “I can do it!”

“I have no doubt you can,” Shisui agreed easily, taking the brush Hikari held out to him. “But Hinata and Neji are a team while you’re alone; that’s not fair, is it?”

“No…”

The Uchiha held out the hairbrush, suggesting in a mock serious voice, “So why don’t we team up too? You can brush your Nee-san’s hair like Neji is doing and I’ll do the braid.”

Naruto considered that for a moment then nodded, taking the brush and leaping to his feet for better access to the redhead’s hair.

Unbeknownst to the kids, Hikari released a sigh of relief. She met Shisui’s eyes in the mirror as he started to untangle the mess Naruto had made, mouthing a ‘thank you’ to him. The eleven-year-old winked at her, making Hikari chuckle.

There was a soft knock on the door, making the inhabitants swivel in unison. Hikari sighed and muttered under her breath, “Great, more people to witness my embarrassment.” Raising her voice, she called out, “Come in, Itachi!”

True to her words, it was the Uchiha Heir at the door. Itachi raised an eyebrow at the sight of everyone playing with Hikari’s hair but decided not to ask. Some things were probably better left unknown.

“Nii-san, who are they?”

Hikari nearly froze at the childish voice, a sharp twist of pain in her chest as she recognized the speaker. She had felt the chakra earlier, but she wasn’t expecting to hear him so soon.

_Sasuke._

“They’re our guests, Sasuke; they’ll be staying with us for some time,” Itachi explained to his little brother as Hikari turned to stare at the two.

_‘Ah.’_

The rush of sorrow and longing she was expecting did not come, the cute little boy half hiding behind Itachi nothing like the friend she had lost.

Instead of cold and sharp, little Sasuke was wide-eyed and shy; the light of innocence in his dark eyes and the open look with which he took in the strangers were completely different from her jaded friend in another life.

“Nii-san, they’re _Hyuuga_ ,” Sasuke whispered, tugging on his brother’s pants. Itachi laid a gentle hand on the boy’s head, tone mildly chastising as he said, “Yes, Sasuke. Be nice to them, alright?”

“Okay!”

Neji stiffened a little when Sasuke approached them, not sure what to make of the Uchiha child. On one hand, the Hyuuga Elders had always told them that Uchiha were not their friends and to not get close to them.

But his father and uncle had left him and Hinata under the care of the Uchiha Clan Head, something that completely went against the Elders’ teachings. Shisui had not reacted to either his or Hinata’s presence, chatting with them with an ease that spoke of no prejudice.

So, Neji was uncertain of how to react when the Uchiha child introduced himself.

Thankfully, Naruto was unaware of the two clans’ history and cheerfully greeted the boy, making Hinata follow in his footsteps. Not one to forget his manners, Neji decided to be polite too.

“Want to play?” Sasuke asked eagerly, smiling widely at the three other kids in front of him. The Uchiha clan, although large, didn’t have many children his age and those who were, didn’t really play much with him.

“Yeah!” came the enthusiastic reply from the hyperactive blond. For his part, Naruto was very excited; he didn’t like going into the village because of the mean adults and so never got much chance to have playmates.

Now he had three!

Wait…

Naruto turned to his sister, a questioning expression on his face. “Nee-san, where is Shika?”

Hikari, who had been staring with a strange look on her face at the interaction of the four kids, blinked. “He should be at his home,” she answered, a little distractedly.

“Can he come too?”

A hand ruffled his hair, making Naruto break out into giggles and swat playfully at the offending limb. “Stop!”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure you’ll see him again,” Hikari responded with a grin. _‘Looks like Naruto latched onto Shikamaru first.’_

To her, it was a little weird. Hikari had known her Shikamaru since their Academy days but they weren’t all that close, not until their failed Sasuke Retrieval Mission. The Nara had become one of her best friends after that, many of their shared experiences bonding them together. They hadn’t been each other’s complement though, Sasuke being hers and Chouji for Shikamaru but they had been very close.

 _‘Maybe it might be the same in this world too, or it might not be,’_ Hikari thought as she watched Naruto bounce happily next to his new friends, treating all three of them equally. _‘If Naruto chooses Shikamaru as his best friend, I won’t complain. They met first, after all. And Shikamaru was oddly energetic on seeing him…’_

“Let’s go play in the snow!”

“There will be no going outside,” Itachi interrupted sternly when Sasuke made the suggestion, causing Hikari and Shisui to laugh at the disappointed looks he earned from the younger children. “Not before breakfast and not without warm clothes.”

“But, Nii-san-”

“No, Sasuke,” Itachi stood firm when his little brother pouted at him, poking Sasuke on the forehead. “Mother is waiting, so why don’t you lead your friends to the dining room?”

“Okay…” the boy grumbled, grabbing the hand of the one closest to him, which happened to be Naruto. The blond in turn reached for Hinata’s, who was already clinging to Neji.

Hikari, Shisui and Itachi watched with no little amusement as the chain of toddlers marched out the room, led by Sasuke. “That was absolutely adorable,” Shisui remarked as the footsteps of the kids faded, earning a snort from the girl.

“True,” she replied, reaching for the hairbrush Naruto had dropped. “But don’t feed them sugar or we’ll have hellions on our hands.”

“Surely they’re not _that_ bad…”

That earned the Jounin a deadpan stare from Hikari. “Try raising a hyperactive three-year-old who’s practically on a sugar high all the time. I don’t want that multiplied by four, thanks.”

Shisui shuddered at the image the statement brought forth and shook his head frantically. “No sugar. Right.”

“Sasuke doesn’t like sweets, except for the occasional treats Mother gives him,” Itachi remarked absently, staring at the mess that was Hikari’s hair. One half was neatly braided halfway and the other was mostly tangled; Shisui had not fixed Naruto’s mess yet.

Hikari noticed the stare and scowled, turning back to the mirror to fix up her hair. She winced as the brush caught a particularly difficult knot and gentled her movements, not wanting to rip anything out.

“Have you ever considered cutting your hair, Hikari-chan?” Shisui asked as he shifted positions to sit at her left, picking up Hinata and Neji’s half finished braid and proceeding to complete it while Itachi went hunting for something to tie the ends with.

“Not really,” Hikari mumbled, finally finished with untangling her hair. She didn’t give them a reason though. _‘I originally started keeping my hair long after meeting Mom’s chakra impression. I guess I don’t want to give that up, even though I look more like Mom now.’_

Shisui hummed in response, not really expecting anything more as he continued his task. “Your hair is really silky though, so I guess it’s somewhat easy to handle even though it’s so long.”

Itachi found a couple of black hair ties in her belongings just as she finished braiding her hair, giving one each to Shisui and Hikari to tie up the ends. “We should go down; Mother would have finished preparing breakfast by now.”

* * *

Breakfast had been a lively affair, Naruto and Sasuke causing quite a bit of mayhem. They even managed to drag in Hinata and Neji, which almost ended in a food fight.

Only Hikari and Itachi’s disapproving glares had silenced them long enough to get the food in their mouths rather than everywhere else. Shisui was cackling too hard at their plight to be of any use and Mikoto just watched them all with a fond look.

After that mini fiasco was over, the four younger kids were sent up to their room to change into warmer clothes to play in the snow.

“Is that all you’re wearing?”

Hikari turned to see Itachi staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She looked down at her clothes: her usual winter attire of a sweater, dark pants and a black coat. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s colder than usual, Hikari-chan,” Shisui said as he came into the guestroom. He was dressed in a similar manner to Itachi, in the standard Uchiha attire with a thick coat. “Shouldn’t you at least wear a scarf?”

The redhead shrugged, snagging Naruto when the three-year-old tried to sneak past her. “You’re not going out without your jacket, mister,” she scolded him, somehow managing to wrangle the burnt orange jacket onto the squirming blond.

Once she was satisfied with the younger Uzumaki’s outfit, Hikari turned an assessing eye on the two Hyuuga. The two of them had changed into kimonos made of a thicker material, Hinata having wrapped a white scarf around her neck.

“I guess that’ll do,” she decided, just as Sasuke came whizzing into the room. Mikoto followed sedately after him, hiding a smile behind her hand at the excitement of the younger kids. The woman took one look at Hikari and frowned, “Will you be fine with only a coat, Hikari? It’s colder than usual this year and I wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

Now it was Hikari’s turn to stifle a smile; both mother and son were the same. “I’ll be fine; my body temperature is a little higher than normal and I don’t get sick,” she explained. When that didn’t abate the concerned looks, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Fine! I’ll wear a scarf.”

Hikari pulled out a sky-blue scarf with white snowflake patterns from one of her storage seals, looping it around her neck. “Satisfied?”

“Very,” grinned Shisui, draping an arm over the girl’s shoulders, dragging her out the room. “Now let’s go!”

The seven children marched out of the house, Naruto bolting out as soon as the front door was open.

“Wait, Naru!” Sasuke yelled after him, ducking from Itachi’s grip and running after his friend. Hikari sighed, _‘This is going to be tiring.’_ Noticing the Hyuuga children looking back and forth between the boys and her, she smiled and waved at them to go on. “Have fun. We’ll follow you in a bit.”

Neji and Hinata took that as permission, running off to join the two boys. Shrieks of laughter and screaming reached the others’ ears in a moment, telling them that the kids were tumbling around in the snow.

Mikoto looked at the three older children, knowing that she could trust them to be responsible. “Be careful, alright? Don’t leave the Compound and try to stay in sight of the guards.”

“Okay!”

With that, Hikari, Itachi and Shisui left the house, following the trail left by the other children. Fortunately for them, Sasuke had taken the lead and they ended up in one of the playgrounds in the Uchiha Compound.

“Of course you guys have your own playground,” Hikari muttered under her breath, blue eyes taking in the surroundings. There were a few children along with their parents, looking to be around five or six years old.

 _‘A guard on either end of the playground,’_ the redhead noted; they were well-hidden, their chakra suppressed so well that even she could only sense a tiny spark. _‘Huh…they’re surprised? The other Uchiha families too.’_

Hanging back a little to fall into step with Itachi, Hikari asked him, “Hey, Itachi, did your father tell anyone that he’s going to be housing us for a while?”

The boy shook his head, gaze focused on his little brother as he replied, “I don’t think so. Father said that he had come straight from the Council Meeting and he left immediately after you arrived. If the Elders knew, he would have been summoned.”

“Fugaku-san won’t get into any trouble, right?”

“It is doubtful.” Itachi smiled faintly at the concerned expression on his friend’s face. Hikari clearly didn’t like the idea of being a problem to others. “You are favoured by Hokage-sama and to have you choose us means that you trust us. As for the Hyuuga, it is a sign of cooperation and the Elders would be fools to dispute it.”

Hikari blinked at the explanation. “I didn’t think about that,” she admitted. The choice she had made was indirectly helping the Uchiha clan in its relations with the village despite it not being the reason she had done so. “I only chose the Uchiha because I would have you and Shisui for company.”

She turned back to Naruto and the other kids, who were climbing the slides. Or well, Naruto and Sasuke were, chasing each other up and down while occasionally pushing the other around. _‘Good to know that they will always have a rivalry, no matter what world.’_

The thought made her snicker but also brought forth unwanted thoughts and Hikari shook her head to clear the darker memories that chased the reminder of her Sasuke. In need of a distraction, she looked around for the Hyuuga cousins.

“They’re over there,” Itachi pointed out helpfully, gesturing towards a corner of the playground. Hinata was sitting in a swing, Neji pushing her gently. Both their frames were a little tense and neither of them raised their gaze above a foot from the ground. They were clearly uncomfortable with the unfriendly looks aimed at them.

Hikari growled, annoyed at the mildly antagonistic stares that the Uchiha adults were directing towards the innocent Hyuuga. _‘They’re kids, for Sage’s sake!’_ she snarled inwardly in frustration, stomping towards the swings. _‘Seriously, all of them are so stuck on their stupid pride!’_

Deciding that Shisui and Itachi could watch over Naruto and Sasuke, Hikari knelt in front of the two cousins. Neji stopped pushing the swing when she came over, making Hinata look up curiously.

“H-Hikari-san…”

“Hey, Hinata, Neji,” the redhead greeted cheerfully, stretching her hands to ruffle both kids’ hair while simultaneously brushing off some snow. “Want to make a snowman?”

“Snowman?”

“Ah, it’s basically huge balls of packed snow that we put on top of one another,” Hikari explained, wondering if they had never played in the snow before. It was more likely that they were pushed to train instead of having fun. “We can use sticks and stones to make it look like a real person.”

Hinata stared at the older girl, a blush on her cheeks at the grin Hikari directed at her. No one in the Hyuuga Compound was ever this warm; everyone was stiff and formal. Being around them was stifling and the way they placed lots of expectations on her was painful.

But here at the Uchiha Compound, there were no rules to follow. They had been told that after Neji had asked when they had to start training. Hikari had been the one she and Neji had approached, because her father had held the redhead in high esteem and she was the only familiar face, at least to Hinata.

The redhead had startled, staring at them with wide eyes. “You don’t need to train here,” she had told them seriously. “It’s okay to just have fun.”

Neji had tried to tell her that the Hyuuga Elders wouldn’t stand for it and there would be punishment if they didn’t complete their daily training sets.

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them,” Hikari had replied with a sly wink, something mischievous in the curve of her lips. “I don’t think any Uchiha is going to be spilling what you did here to a Hyuuga.”

That had been all Hikari had said on the matter before quickly distracting them with getting cleaned up earlier in the morning. Now they were all bundled up to play in the snow, which would have never been allowed back home.

“Um…Hikari-san…?”

Hinata trailed off, feeling ashamed at how low her voice was. The redhead probably hadn’t heard her at all.

“What is it, Hinata?”

The younger girl’s head snapped up at the question, fixing wide surprised eyes on the female Uzumaki. _‘She heard me?’_

For her part, Hikari was staring at the Hyuuga Heiress with a quizzical expression, head tilted to the side. She had been making a large snowball, big enough to serve as the snowman’s body. “Hinata?” she called, when the girl did not respond.

“O-Oh…I’m sorry!”

The dark blue haired girl bowed her head, fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. “I-I just…wanted to thank you,” she whispered, forcing herself to meet Hikari’s eyes. Hinata did not want her gratitude to feel superficial, because she truly meant the words. “For saving me.”

Hikari paused, quickly glancing at the other Hyuuga child. Neji was a bit further away from the girls, gathering small stones and some sticks for their snowman. No doubt that he had chosen that task on purpose, to give Hinata some privacy for her conversation.

Neji, for a four-year-old, was quite tactful.

“You’re welcome,” Hikari murmured softly, smiling when Hinata flushed and ducked her head. _‘Even at this age, Hinata is pretty shy.’_ She recalled the Hyuuga heiress of her world, the stuttering and easily embarrassed little girl growing up to become the tigress who had protected her loved ones fiercely.

Crouching in front of the three-year-old, Hikari gently grasped Hinata’s chin, making the girl look at her. “Don’t look away, Hinata,” she advised. “You’re a brave little girl and you don’t want others to look down on you, do you?”

“B-But-!”

“No buts!” Hikari chirped cheerfully, bouncing to her feet and dragging Hinata along with her and doing a twirl just to make the Heiress laugh. As hoped, Hinata giggled at being spun around and her face brightened.

“Let’s finish our snowman! Neji, can you and Hinata make a big snowball too?” the redhead asked as Neji came over to them, having realized that their conversation was over. He placed the things he had collected on the ground and gave a nod. “Just a bit smaller than this one,” Hikari added, pointing to her snowball.

Soon, there was another snowball ready, formed after much giggling and rolling in the white snow packed ground. Hikari allowed the kids to stack them, not wanting to steal all the fun.

“Snowman-san looks nice,” Neji remarked with a quiet smile, handing a stick to Hinata to let her place it as an arm.

Hikari tugged the two Hyuuga into an impromptu hug, tucking them into either side. “Well, Snowman-san had the best kids to make him, didn’t he?” she grinned down at the shining faces of Neji and Hinata. Both of them looked happy and absolutely content, something that hadn’t been the case when they had arrived at the Uchiha Compound.

 _‘Distraction successful!’_ Hikari cheered mentally; neither Hinata nor Neji noticed the mildly hostile stares from the few Uchiha still lurking around, the creation of the snowman having given them something else to focus on. _‘I wonder how the others are doing.’_

The thought had barely crossed her mind when something cold hit the back of her head and Hikari jerked forward from the impact.

“Uh oh.”

That was clearly Naruto’s voice but Hikari had the strange feeling that he wasn’t the culprit. She turned around slowly, a murderous glare on her face.

“He did it!”

Both Naruto and Sasuke immediately pointed at Shisui, who squawked with indignation and yelled, “Hey, don’t rat me out so easily! Traitors!”

Chancing a glance at Hikari, the curly haired Uchiha gulped and took an instinctive half-step back when he caught sight of her dark expression.

The redhead slowly stood, eyes hidden behind crimson bangs. “Hinata, Neji,” she stated rather calmly, making the cousins look up at her curiously. Hikari raised a hand to wipe off the snow still stuck in her hair, a dark smile playing on her lips. “What do you say to a snowball fight?”

Hinata peeked around the older girl’s legs to look at her cousin, who returned the stare. “Neji-nii-san?” she said in a questioning tone, something uncharacteristically mischievous in her eyes that made Neji break out into a wide smile as he responded, “Hinata-sama.”

In unison, the two children dropped to the ground and grabbed handfuls of snow, rapidly packing them into tight balls before launching them at the trio opposite them.

Cries rang out as the victims ran for cover, having not expected the docile Hyuuga cousins to be so vicious in their assault. Naruto dropped with a startled yelp as a snowball hit him right on the forehead, courtesy of Neji, who ducked the next second to avoid Sasuke’s snowball.

With screams and laughter the four children threw themselves at each other, chunks of snow flying everywhere as the fight became a battle royale with no clear sides. It was obvious that they were more focused on pelting each other with as many snowballs as they could, rather than on winning.

That left Hikari and Shisui, the Uchiha staring with growing trepidation from behind a large tree when the Uzumaki did not move a finger.

“Uh, Hikari-chan?”

“You are going down, Shisui!”

The boy yelped and hid behind the tree again, to protect himself from the incoming projectiles.

“I told you not to attack her.”

Itachi’s voice sounded above his head and Shisui looked up, spotting the other boy sitting on a branch with an entertained expression on his face.

“Oh, come on! I didn’t think she’d get so mad!”

“You did hit her head.”

“Okay, fine, that was stup- Ack!”

Shisui tumbled back as a snowball hit his face, right on the nose. Hikari had taken advantage of his distraction and snuck up on him. She stood smirking over him, hands on her hips.

“Ready to fight fair this time?”

* * *

Fugaku stared when seven children trooped back into his house, all of them in different states of disarray. The younger four slipped past him, Mikoto quickly taking charge of them and ushering them off to have a warm bath.

His gaze, however, was not fixed on them.

“Itachi?”

“What is it, Father?”

“Why is Shisui pink?”

Indeed, the oldest boy was completely pink except for his skin and eyes. All of his hair -even his eyebrows- and his clothes were dyed a hot pink.

Shisui was pouting as he followed a victoriously grinning Hikari, not meeting his Clan Head’s eyes. The girl looked completely unconcerned as she snapped a salute at Fugaku and disappeared into the house. Shisui too slunk away, darting after the redhead and pestering her to turn him back to normal.

Itachi was serene, a small smirk appearing on his face and startling his father.

“He lost a fight against Hikari.”

“A fight?”

“Yes.”

“What fight?”

“A snowball fight.”

“...”

“Father?”

“…never mind. Forget I asked.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this chapter since it had more interactions with a lot of characters and set the base of how future interactions will take place.  
> Honestly, I'm not sure if it does snow in Konoha. I know that snow was shown in The Last so I'm going with the idea that it does, just not too heavily.  
> I've also noticed that I jump all over the place with POV every time...it isn't too disconcerting, is it?  
> Always writing in Hikari's POV is boring and it's interesting to see how a different character will view something.  
> But if it's too much, I'll tone it down.
> 
> Also I finished this chapter just this afternoon, so I didn't read everything through all that much. If there are any mistakes, forgive them. I'll edit them in the future if there's any.
> 
> For the next chapter, I'm planning to cover some of the serious stuff. Pretty sure you can guess it for yourself.  
> See you next week! (Hopefully, since I have yet to start writing for it but if it's not up on Friday night, it will be posted on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.)
> 
> Posted: 19/06/2020


	11. “Fate? I’ll beat it to hell!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick peek into Kumo's last attempt, a lesson on seals and Hikari gets her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This monster of a chapter is my longest one yet, over 11k words.  
> And I have a feeling that it might get longer in the future. Sometimes.
> 
> I am literally posting this at 3:30 AM in the morning after an entire day at work but I wanted to finish it as soon as possible.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Hiruzen stood at the window of his office, hands folded behind his back as he stared over the village. It had been three days since Kumo’s attempt of kidnapping Hikari and Hinata; Konoha was still on high alert and he could see the shadows of the Jounin currently on patrol.

“Hokage-sama.”

Hound knelt in front of the Hokage’s desk, holding a scroll in his hands. “This just arrived from Kumo via messenger eagle.”

The old Sarutobi turned away from the window and took the scroll, activating the privacy seal on his desk and breaking the seal open with a deft finger. He skimmed through the contents, expression grim as he read the words from the Raikage.

“At ease, Kakashi-kun.”

When the teen stood up and removed his mask, attaching it to his belt, Hiruzen told him, “Kumo has agreed to consent to our terms, on the condition that we show the Raikage the one who defeated their shinobi.”

“But that’s-”

“I know,” the Sandaime cut off Kakashi’s protest, already aware of what the teen felt. It would be too risky to let Hikari be exposed to Kumo, even if the three prisoners currently in T&I already knew a bit about her. Letting Ay meet her could go in multiple ways and all of them disastrous, especially if he recognized her resemblance to both Minato and Kushina.

Hiruzen massaged his temples, feeling a headache come on. “It would be easier if Hikari-chan was here,” he muttered under his breath. He hadn’t meant to be heard but the Hatake caught his words nevertheless.

Kakashi pulled out the kunai Hikari had given him, placing it on the table. “Hikari gave me this that night,” he explained to the confused Hokage. “Her Hiraishin seal is hidden underneath the wrap.”

“Indeed? That is useful.”

The Sandaime took the kunai, inspecting the weapon and then channeling a little chakra into the Hiraishin seal.

A couple of minutes went by with nothing happening and just when the two men were thinking that Hikari was caught up with something and couldn’t come, the redhead materialized in the middle of the room.

“What’s up, Jiji, Kakashi-nii?”

“Hello, Hikari-chan; we were beginning to think that you wouldn’t come.”

The redhead shrugged, rocking back on her heels. “I’m a Kage Bunshin. Boss is still at the Uchiha Compound,” she explained. “She’s in the middle of a Fuuinjutsu lesson with Shisui and Itachi; don’t know about Itachi but there’s a chance that Shisui would notice if she left behind a Kage Bunshin to come here personally.”

“That’s possible,” Kakashi agreed as the girl walked over to stand next to him. The young Jounin was very observant and was likely to realize the deception. “How is everyone?”

“They’re fine,” she replied absently, eyeing the important looking scroll lying on the table. “The kids haven’t noticed that something big is going on but that’s to be expected. So, what’s that?”

Hiruzen pushed the scroll towards her, “It’s Kumo’s response to our demands.”

“Huh.”

Hikari took the scroll. After a few minutes, she stated, “Doesn’t sound like they’re agreeing to the new treaty.” She threw the scroll back onto the table, “Ay doesn’t know that a kid took down three of his best men; while he would know when we release the prisoners, unless we erase their memories, he’s probably looking to spark a war when Konoha meets up to hand them back.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Hiruzen agreed. “Raikage-dono has faced Minato during the Third War and I believe that he might suspect you to be his daughter.”

The redhead smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not really a lie,” she pointed out. “In any case, I won’t agree to meeting him so tell him to screw off. No matter which way you look at it, Konoha has the upper hand here.”

“And if Kumo doesn’t accept?”

“Easy, Kakashi-nii; tell them that we have proof of their betrayal and that we could have demanded greater compensation for it.”

Hiruzen mulled over the idea and found it something that Shikaku would suggest. It was also straightforward, leaving nothing to be twisted. “That could work.”

“Did you really just call me over for this, Jiji?” Hikari stared incredulously at the Sandaime, who looked sheepish as he nodded. “Oh, come on! You’re called the Professor; have you already gone senile?!”

“I probably relied too much on my old friends,” the Sarutobi admitted. Now that he thought about it, he did consult with them on matters that did not even concern them. _‘Perhaps I have to re-evaluate my reliance on them.’_

Hikari pinched the bridge of her nose, looking completely annoyed. “Go to Shikaku-san or Inoichi-san for stuff like this. Hell, even Shibi-san, Hiashi-san and Fugaku-san are better than your puffed up, so-called advisors!”

Even Kakashi nodded seriously at that; as an ANBU he knew more about the situation amongst the shinobi, how much power the Advisors wielded with arrogance that could become Konoha’s downfall.

The old Hokage had no answer to that; he wasn’t sure he had the resolve to completely dissolve the Advisors but he should probably stop listening to them all the time. If he didn’t, he had the feeling that Hikari would beat him into the ground until he saw sense.

“If that’s all, I’m going back,” the clone informed them abruptly, taking a couple steps back. “Get this resolved soon; all this stress is going to make everyone turn grey early. Well, not Kashi-nii; he’s already grey.”

Before Kakashi could do anything but roll his eyes at the cheeky remark, the Kage Bunshin dispersed with a pop.

“Hikari-chan sure does know how to get under someone’s skin,” Hiruzen remarked with a weary but faintly amused expression. “I just don’t know if it’s for good or bad.”

“You can say that again, Hokage-sama.”

* * *

Hikari hummed softly as the memories of her Kage Bunshin flowed into her head, not breaking her stare on the scroll in her hands. _‘So Kumo is suspicious, huh. Really, Ay needs to learn when to back down. Hope Jiji goes to Shikaku-san like I said; that way, Konoha won’t come out on the losing side.’_

While she was pondering if she needed to make some protective seals for the Konoha shinobi who would be involved in transferring the prisoners, Shisui spoke, “Hey, Hikari-chan, why can’t some components be tied together in a seal?”

The redhead blinked, roused out of her thoughts. She raised her head from the scroll, finding Shisui staring at her. Itachi was listening from the side, curious.

“Because they just don’t go together or there’s too much in a single seal.”

“…I don’t get it.”

She chuckled at the confused pout from the older Uchiha boy, not really surprised. “It’s like chakra natures; one cancels out or overpowers the other unless you possess a bloodline limit. In the same way, certain components won’t work together unless you find a roundabout, which is not always possible and could result in an ineffective seal.”

Hikari paused, wracking her head for a good example. “Let’s see…take my chakra suppression and perception manipulation seals. Have you ever wondered why I don’t make a seal that has both properties?”

Both Itachi and Shisui nodded, having thought about that exact thing multiple times. She used them often enough that it probably would be easier to have one seal than two.

“It’s because of how they work. Shisui, what does chakra suppression do?”

The curly haired boy startled at being called but took a moment to think. He had seen the seal in question enough times to remember its components and come to a decent conclusion about its functionality.

“Uh…it mutes your chakra by affecting the chakra network and preventing chakra from emanating from your body?”

“Correct,” Hikari praised with a grin, now pointing to Itachi. “Now you tell me how the perception manipulation seal works.”

Itachi had already predicted that he would be questioned and had his answer ready. “It takes a portion of ambient or the user’s chakra, depending on where it is placed, to create a subtle illusion to deceive another person’s senses.”

“Exactly. It’s pretty much Genjutsu,” Hikari mumbled, not liking that she actually used Genjutsu on an almost daily basis but understanding that it was too useful to disregard it just because she hated the art. _‘Well, I have to get over my dislike sooner or later.’_

Especially if she was going to be hanging around a clan that had an affinity for Genjutsu.

“So, now that you know their specific functionalities, why do you think that I don’t make them into a single seal?”

“Because one seal contains chakra while the other releases it.”

Hikari smirked when the boys startled at Fugaku’s voice, having already sensed the man coming to their room. He had been standing just outside the door since Shisui had asked his question, curious about their topic of discussion. She waved for him to come in and the man obliged, seating himself in an empty chair.

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner!”

While Shisui laughed at Hikari’s cheer, Itachi turned to look at the Uchiha Clan Head. “Do you know Fuuinjutsu, Father?”

Fugaku shrugged his shoulders, a hint of sorrow entering his dark eyes. “My best friend was a Seal Master; I picked up a few things from him.”

The two younger Uchiha immediately understood that he was talking about Namikaze Minato; the Yondaime Hokage had often dropped by the Uchiha compound before the Kyuubi incident, enough for both boys to remember him.

 _‘Huh,’_ Hikari tilted her head in thought, curious about this ‘best friend’. There were few Seal Masters in existence and it wasn’t hard to connect the dots. _‘Konoha had only three acknowledged Seal Masters: Ero-Sennin, Dad and Mom. Fugaku-san mentioned a ‘he’, so I guess he was referring to Dad. I didn’t know that they were friends.’_

“Anyway, back to my point; like Fugaku-san said, a seal to contain chakra while simultaneously releasing it doesn’t always work as expected,” Hikari explained to her enraptured audience. “Of course, I could make it like a door to let only some amount of chakra out.”

Her old seal containing Kurama functioned that way, releasing small amounts of the Bijuu’s chakra into her system.

“But that wouldn’t work,” Itachi’s eyes widened with understanding. “To maintain a subtle Genjutsu, a steady stream of chakra would be required.”

Shisui continued when the other boy paused, also having come to the same conclusion, “There’s no guarantee that your chakra will always flow smoothly and if you had to integrate both functionalities into one seal, you would need a stabilizing component too.”

Hikari nodded, pride in her smile at how fast they had picked up the obscure art of sealing. “Of course, it’s not impossible, but the seal’s size would have to be larger than usual to accommodate all of those parts. I could make a layered seal that would work but that’s needlessly complicated when I can just use two simpler seals instead.”

“Huh,” Shisui tapped his chin in thought, going through everything he had learnt. “I see…so better stick to simplicity and function.”

When the two boys started to debate layered seals, Hikari shook her head in exasperation. _‘And there they go again. I don’t mind their eagerness to learn but they could slow down a little….’_

Feeling eyes on her, the redhead turned to meet the Uchiha Clan Head’s intense gaze. “Something wrong, Fugaku-san?”

The man cleared his throat, still watching her with that assessing stare. “So you truly are a Seal Master.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Like I once told Itachi and Shisui, there’s no one around to test my level. But I do consider myself fairly proficient.”

Fugaku understood that; the only Seal Master Konoha currently had was the Sannin Jiraiya and that man hardly ever returned to the village, too focused on his books and spy network.

“Understandable,” he stated evenly, closing his eyes. He bowed his head a little, startling the girl. “Thank you for teaching them, Hikari.”

The redhead flailed, making Itachi and Shisui glance at her for an instant then return to their conversation. “They’re pretty good students; I don’t know about Shisui since he didn’t seem to show an interest in Fuuinjutsu before but I know that Itachi would have learnt it by himself.” Hikari watched the youngest Uchiha with a fond expression, “He certainly has the curiosity for it.”

Standing up, Fugaku pulled out a thin scroll from inside his sleeve and held it out to the Uzumaki, who took it curiously. “This arrived for you just now,” he informed her, a speculative gleam in his eyes. He had recognized the symbol on the scroll’s seal and had a good idea of what the contents could possibly be.

Hikari raised an eyebrow at the man’s expression but didn’t say anything as he left the room as silently as he had come.

“What have you got there, Hikari-chan?”

Apparently having finished their heated debate, the two boys looked at her with interest. Anything that caused Fugaku to have such a look and willing to play messenger had to be serious.

“It’s a message from the Hyuuga, most likely Hiashi-san.”

The absent-minded reply came from Hikari as she broke the seal and unrolled the scroll, blue eyes darting over it with a keen gaze. When she looked back up, both Itachi and Shisui were staring at her closely.

“So? What does it say?”

“Down, boy,” Hikari ordered, amused, when Shisui nearly got into her face with his rapid-fire questions. She pushed him away and he settled back on his haunches with a pout.

“The Hyuuga Clan Elders want to meet me to settle the matter of their debt tomorrow.”

Itachi frowned, something feeling not quite right to him. “I would have expected them to wait until the problem with Kumo is resolved.”

“Perhaps they just want to get it over with?” Shisui suggested, but that sounded weak even to his own ears.

“Doubt it,” Hikari cut in, laughing at the twin raised eyebrows her nonchalant attitude earned. Knowing what she did of the Hyuuga Clan, she had a good idea of what they were planning. “I think they don’t want to give me time to consider what I want from them.”

It was no longer news that she was staying with the Uchiha Clan for the time being; it was likely that the Hyuuga Elders thought that she would favor the Uchiha and demand for something that benefitted them.

Shisui started laughing, falling onto his back and almost rolling on the floor. “Oh, I want to be a fly on the wall when you tell them what you want! Their expressions are going to be priceless!”

“Are you still intending to ask for their Cursed Seal to be abolished?” Itachi asked, ignoring the other boy.

Hikari nodded, searching for Hinata and Neji’s chakra signatures. All four kids were taking a nap and she had no doubt that they would be zipping around the place the second they woke up. But for now they were quiet and peaceful.

“Oi, Shisui!” she whacked the still laughing Uchiha’s shoulder, grinning mischievously at him when he looked at her. “Who said you won’t get the chance to see the shocked Elders?”

“…what?”

The redhead continued to grin, a devious gleam in her eyes, “Forgotten your current mission already?”

Shisui sat up, mirth forgotten as he frowned at the girl. “No, but I doubt the Hyuuga would allow me inside their compound, especially for a sensitive meeting such as this.”

“You have to be,” cut in Itachi, finally seeing the little loophole that Hikari had already known. A small smirk curled his lips as he looked at his friend, “Hokage-sama’s orders rank above the Clan.”

That took a minute to sink in but when it inevitably did, Shisui started laughing again. Unlike most Uchiha, he didn’t hold any grudge or animosity towards the Hyuuga but even he had to admit that the Hyuuga Elders were a little attached to their rules.

It was why he was looking forward to seeing Hikari rip through them with a pleasant smile.

“Still, even if Shisui will be with you, you should be careful, Hikari,” Itachi told the redhead, his smirk transforming into a worried frown. “They might attack you in a fit of rage if you provoke them too far.”

Hikari waved a hand at him absently, having lost interest in the conversation. “Don’t worry so much, Itachi,” she replied, attention back on the scroll she had abandoned a while ago. “It will be fine.”

Neither Itachi nor Shisui was convinced; the Hyuuga still followed their traditions, the sealing of their Branch Family being proof of that. They exchanged glances unnoticed by the redhead and Shisui nodded in agreement to Itachi’s silent request.

He wouldn’t care if it would offend the Hyuuga or upset Hikari; if anyone tried to touch a single strand of crimson hair, Shisui would grab the girl and Shunshin out of there, decorum be damned.

Hikari was too precious to them to risk it.

* * *

Morning came too early for Shisui’s liking and found him sitting at the dining table in the kitchen. He was dressed up in full Jounin uniform, with no mark of the Uchiha clan on him. He knew politics well enough to know that the Hyuuga might see it as a threat. As a normal Jounin, Shisui could easily claim that he was there only because of the Hokage’s order to protect Uzumaki Hikari.

_‘Let’s hope that Hiashi-sama is on our side or else this could end up with a great disaster.’_

The sound of loud footsteps reached his ears and Shisui blinked; none of the younger kids were awake yet and he knew that everyone else in the house walked with silent feet.

_‘Who…?’_

His question was answered when Hikari stomped into the kitchen, face set in a deep pout.

“Mikoto-san, do I really have to dress up?”

In sharp contrast to her usual getup of a kimono shirt or a long shirt paired with pants, Hikari was dressed in a short black kimono-style dress. It had elaborately designed violet butterflies on it and a violet obi lined with thin white lace was tied around her waist, with a large bow at the back.

The girl was visibly uncomfortable with what she was wearing; it was obvious that the fancy outfit was not her preference.

“Of course you must, Hikari,” came Mikoto’s reply as she swept into the kitchen, Fugaku and Itachi following her. The Uchiha Matriarch had taken one look at the redhead who had initially emerged in her normal clothes and dragged her off, getting Hikari to admit that she did own a relatively formal outfit.

“People value etiquette in a formal setting, Hikari, and the Hyuuga would look down on you if you appeared before them in simple clothing. You need to press every advantage you have.”

Hikari flopped down into a chair opposite Shisui, wishing she could sink into the floor. Even her hair had not been spared; Mikoto had brushed it till it shone like rubies and pulled it up into a high ponytail, clipping a butterfly barrette decorated with amethysts when she was done.

“But I feel like this is overkill…”

Neither Itachi nor Fugaku said a word; they were aware that this was of a low level for Mikoto. If she had not known that Hikari would detest it, Mikoto would have forced the redhead into a traditional kimono, complete with accessories.

Shisui had to smile at the sulking form of his friend; even if Hikari hated dressing up, no one could say that she looked out of place in formal clothes. Even as a seven-year-old, she was very pretty and it was evident that she would grow up to be extremely beautiful.

“Lighten up, Hikari-chan,” he said cheerfully, making the Uzumaki fix a blank stare on him. “You look really pretty!”

The four Uchiha were amused when the girl froze at the compliment and turned bright red. She started stuttering, finally dropping her face into her hands when she realized she couldn’t get out a single cognizant word, cheeks burning.

“…that was unfair, Shisui.”

Hikari managed to control her blush, peeking one blue eye out from behind her fingers to glare at the unrepentant Jounin.

Unable to resist, Itachi piped in at that moment, “Shisui called you cute when we met in the forest, remember?”

“Itachi!”

Fugaku and Mikoto had to hide smiles at the embarrassed shriek Hikari let out. Neither of them batted an eye at their normally stoic son teasing the girl, having already witnessed him dropping his walls around her and Shisui multiple times.

“Shisui’s right, Hikari,” Mikoto remarked, carrying their breakfast to the table. “You are very adorable.”

“Not you too, Mikoto-san,” Hikari grumbled and picked up her chopsticks. “Can we drop the topic and just focus on the food now? _Please_?”

“Shisui.”

Shisui stopped short, hand freezing halfway from reaching for the door knob. He turned around, meeting the serious eyes of his Clan Head.

“Fugaku-sama.”

“No matter what happens, you must prioritize Hikari’s safety over her talk with the Hyuuga,” Fugaku said to the boy, a stern note in his voice. “Even if it is not her wish.”

“My mission is to protect Hikari-chan,” Shisui stated simply, as if the determined light in his eyes didn’t give him away. “Everything else is secondary.”

Fugaku nodded, satisfied. His nephew wasn’t called Shunshin no Shisui for no reason; should anything untoward happen, he was fast and strong enough to counter it. And Hikari was no weakling either, if her quick take-down of the Kumo nin had been any indication.

“Good. I believe Hiashi would support her choice.” The statement let Shisui know that his uncle was aware of what the Uzumaki intended to do. “But I’m sure you know that the Elders won’t accept it.”

Shisui voiced his agreement. “Yes, but I think Hikari-chan has considered that as well,” he revealed, earning an interested expression from the other Uchiha. “She hasn’t said anything though.”

“I see. Nevertheless, remember your mission. Should anything go wrong, Hokage-sama will back any action you deem necessary.”

Hikari chose that instant to appear, a disgruntled expression twisting her face as she made her way to the pair. “Can we go now? Anymore messing with my outfit and I _will_ kill someone.”

“So stab happy,” Shisui teased, noticing Itachi slip into the hallway silently. The younger boy nodded to him, eyes flickering to the glowering redhead then back to him.

Shisui understood the silent message and inclined his head imperceptibly, indicating his understanding.

“ _You_ will be the one I stab if we don’t get moving, _now_ ,” Hikari _growled_ as she finished her sentence, holding up a kunai to prove her point.

“Where did you even keep that kunai?” the boy asked halfheartedly as he opened the door, letting his friend step out first. “I didn’t think that dress had any pockets.”

The redhead deadpanned at him; she shook her right hand in his face, the steel bracelet shining in the sunlight. “Forgot about this?”

“Oh. Right.”

Hikari sighed and turned around, sketching a quick bow to Fugaku and Itachi. “We’ll be off then. Watch over the kids while I’m gone, okay?”

Exchanging a few words with the other pair, Shisui and Hikari left the Uchiha Compound. They took to the roofs, finding it easier to navigate compared to the maze that was Konoha’s streets.

The Uzumaki matched her pace with the Uchiha to run alongside Shisui, looking at him sideways. “I know that you have some plan to spirit me away if the Hyuuga try anything,” she said bluntly, watching the boy startle and almost lose his footing.

Before Shisui could say anything, she ploughed on, “I appreciate the concern, but trust that I know what I’m doing.” She smiled faintly at the look of protest and added, “If things get messy, I’ll give you a signal and you can take me away. But not before then.”

Knowing that was probably the best compromise he would get, Shisui agreed reluctantly.

“I won’t let them touch you though.”

“Wouldn’t expect any less.”

* * *

Hiashi sat in his seat at the head of the table, eyes closed. The Hyuuga Clan Elders were in their respective seats on either side, eyeing the unusual addition to their Council with disdain. It was his twin brother joining them in the meeting that caused the strange tension; even Hizashi himself didn’t know why he was there in the first place.

 _‘I hope Uzumaki-san understood what I implied that night,’_ the Clan Head thought with a heavy heart.

Three days.

Three days of frantically looking through every tradition and rule of the Hyuuga Clan while also balancing his duties in Konoha’s Clan Council.

Three days and nothing.

Nothing that would help Neji.

Hikari was his last hope; he knew it was too much to ask of a young girl but somehow, Hiashi felt that she would rise to the occasion.

_‘If her way of snubbing Hokage-sama’s Advisors is any indication, she would have no trouble with the Elders.’_

Being the only one apart from Hizashi to have met the girl meant that he knew the instant Hikari arrived at the Compound, escort in tow.

_‘Ah. Will that complicate matters?’_

Less than five minutes later, a woman gently slid open the door and bowed respectfully, “Hiashi-sama, your guests are here.”

Hiashi inclined his head in acknowledgement, “Send them in.”

“Yes, Hiashi-sama.”

The woman’s voice held an undercurrent of worry and tension, barely noticeable but to the sharpest ear.

The door was opened wider and two people stepped in, the sight of one of them making all the Elders stiffen in their seats. To their credit, none of them spoke up until the guests were seated on the opposite side of the table, across from Hiashi.

One of the Elders, Harue, spoke up, a note of superiority and obvious disdain in her voice, “Forgive me, Hiashi-sama, but I believed this to be a meeting between the Hyuuga and Uzumaki-san. Why is an Uchiha here?”

Before Hiashi could even start to frame a response for that disrespectful question, a young voice sounded from the other end of the long table. Hikari looked bored, half-lidded eyes trained on the woman who had spoken.

“Shisui is here as my guard, Hyuuga-san,” the redhead stated, the words rolling off her tongue dripping with an arrogance that Hiashi did not expect from her. He smirked inwardly, _‘Uzumaki-san is aware that this is a fight she needs to manage carefully.’_

Looks like he needn’t worry about her after all.

Hikari watched as the female Hyuuga bristled at her tone and snapped back, “Are you implying that the Hyuuga Clan is not sufficient for your protection, Uzumaki-san?”

“Not at all,” the redhead drawled, feeling amusement and a tiny bit of worry radiating from the Uchiha at her back. “Jiji ordered him to protect me at all times; don’t blame Shisui for doing his duty as a loyal shinobi of Konoha.”

“Who is this ‘Jiji’ of yours?! What authority does he have to blatantly allow an Uchiha onto our grounds?!”

Hiashi decided it was time for him to step in and cleared his throat, sending a sharp expression towards the indignant Elder. “Silence, Harue-dono. Hokage-sama is the one who assigned Uchiha-kun his mission and you have no right to question him. You will show courtesy to our guests.”

At the revelation that Shisui was acting on the _Hokage’s_ orders, the Elders immediately silenced themselves. Hikari could see that none of them liked it, but they managed to hold their tongues.

“I apologize for my clansmen’s rudeness, Uzumaki-san,” Hiashi directed to her, bowing his head a little. “It is truly unsightly of us to display such behavior.”

Hikari waved a hand carelessly, offering a small smile to the Clan Head. The presence of Hizashi at the man’s back had not gone unnoticed; she understood that it was Hiashi’s way of telling her that he knew what she was planning.

 _‘Perhaps not to the extent what I’ve predicted will happen,’_ she thought as she answered, “It’s alright, Hiashi-sama. I know of the animosity between the Hyuuga and Uchiha, although I do not claim to understand it. But that is neither here nor there.”

None of the Hyuuga missed her use of honorifics. Hikari had addressed Harue with ‘san’ while Hiashi was addressed with ‘sama’, meaning that she clearly respected him more than the others.

Hiashi had to hide the smile that threatened to break out; if he hadn’t met the girl before, he would have thought she was perfectly comfortable in the tense atmosphere. The easy way she spoke would tell as much.

As it was, he caught the slight grimace. Hikari did hate speaking so formally, but somehow, she knew how to play the political game, as young as she was.

“Well said, Uzumaki-san,” the former Clan Head and Hiashi’s father, Hiromasa, cut in. “Hiashi, if you would proceed.”

Hikari shot a quick glance at the aged man, a speculative glint in her eyes. _‘That’s the former Head. I can’t read him, but he is one of the main players here.’_

“Uzumaki-san, I first wish to express the Hyuuga Clan’s gratitude to you for saving my daughter,” Hiashi stated regally. “As you are already aware, your thoughtful actions also saved my clan from causing a disaster that would have affected all of Konoha.”

Confused murmuring started up at that, all of the Elders not understanding what Hiashi meant. Shisui held in the urge to snort, so far entertained by the show unfolding in front of him, _‘Hikari-chan isn’t the only one playing games here; Hiashi-sama not telling them the true extent of her actions before means that he deliberately held back the information.’_

Hikari had come to the same conclusion as Shisui but didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t her turn yet.

“What do you mean by that, Hiashi?”

“It is as I said, Father,” the Clan Head replied, keeping his voice steady as he told the Elders about Kumo’s true plan. It had not been made public, to not spark riots and unease in the village. Apart from a few people, the others only knew that Kumo had betrayed the treaty because of their attempt of kidnapping Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Hikari.

“So Kumogakure intended to betray us from the start,” Hiromasa murmured, looking at the young redhead in a new light. “Did you know, Uzumaki-san?”

Hikari simply shrugged, returning the man’s stare with an intensity that made him feel unnerved. “Yes and no. I knew of the treaty and if Kumo succeeded in taking me and Hinata, they would have two bloodlines and hostages to hold against Konoha’s retribution. I didn’t think I could kill them, so I did what I did.”

“Of course. Regardless, you have our gratitude.”

Hiashi clenched a fist under the table, resisting the urge to glare at his father. He understood that Hiromasa held the pride of the clan above all else and wouldn’t have hesitated to sacrifice his brother, if things had gone in Kumo’s favor.

 _‘Hizashi is your son too,’_ he thought with great bitterness. _‘Yet you would easily throw him away. But I won’t; I will never choose to sacrifice my family.’_

“As a sign of our gratitude, we will grant you anything you ask of us, Uzumaki-san, as long as it is in our power.”

Hikari straightened in her seat, gaze sharpening. She could practically feel the tension radiating from Shisui and wanted to roll her eyes, but didn’t so that she wouldn’t ruin her confident image.

“I request for the abolition of the Hyuuga’s Caged Bird Seal.”

* * *

No one spoke, too dumbfounded by the seemingly innocuous sentence uttered by the redhead. Shisui twitched, a hand inching for his kunai holster. He had kept his Sharingan inactive for the sake of courtesy but things were about to go to hell, starting now.

A male Elder, Hideki, was the first to react, breaking the infamous Hyuuga poise and slamming his hands on the table. “Insolence! How dare you speak so brazenly!”

Hikari arched an eyebrow, only amused by the threatening air the man had, “You asked what I wanted.”

“Yet you ask for something so integral to the Clan?!” the man demanded, the other Elders agreeing with him. Only Hiromasa stayed quiet, watching the scene with intense eyes. “The Caged Bird Seal is what protects our bloodline!”

“By _branding your own kin like cattle_?”

The sharp words cut off any attempts of speech from the Hyuuga, stunning them with the sheer amount of venom laced into them. Blue eyes turned dark and dangerous, like the stormy sky that foretold the coming of a violent hurricane.

“You would subject your own family, brothers, sisters, _children_ to that _curse_?”

“The Seal is what protects the Byakugan from being stolen!”

“Oh? It _protects_ them?”

Hiashi knew exactly what the redhead was going to say next and wasn’t disappointed.

“Then if Kumo had succeeded they wouldn’t have had the Byakugan? Is Hinata sealed? Would it have helped anyway?”

Hikari looked at the furious faces of the Hyuuga Elders and scoffed openly at them. “If your precious eyes need to be protected, then why don’t _you_ have the seal?”

“The advanced blood of the Hyuuga clan is a valuable trump card to this village. Protecting that has been the duty of the Main Family. That is why the Branch Family exists,” Hiromasa stated calmly, in response to the Uzumaki’s question.

But if he believed that would make her back down, he was sorely mistaken.

Hikari was the definition of stubborn.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” she swiftly shot back, not missing a beat. Hikari knew that she had to press if she wished to get this done without repercussions. While she didn’t mind bulldozing her way through, she didn’t want to harm Neji’s future. Or any of the Branch Family for that matter.

“Why don’t you guys have the seal if it’s meant to protect the Byakugan? Or better yet, why the hell does it have a _torture_ component?!”

“It is to keep them in line,” Hideki replied stiffly. He did not like the way this child was questioning their traditions and her insolence grated on his nerves. And she even brought in an Uchiha!

“Sure, let me fry your brains and see how you like it,” came the sarcastic reply. Hikari was getting annoyed; these old coots were almost as annoying as the Advisors.

She was this close to provoking one of them to attack her just to prove her point that the Byakugan, like any other ability, had its weaknesses. And going to such absurd lengths to protect their bloodline was pure insanity.

It was then that Hizashi spoke; perhaps it was foolish of him to do so, considering how high-strung the Elders were but he had only directed his words to his brother.

“Nii-san, is it wise to allow Uzumaki-san to continue arguing with them?” Hizashi spoke in a low whisper, sending a concerned stare towards the seven-year-old currently in a face-off against Hideki and Harue.

Before Hiashi could respond though, Harue’s head snapped towards Hizashi who stiffened. “ _You_ shouldn’t even be in here,” she snarled, anger evident on her face. Her hand formed that hand seal that he feared and detested so much. “You deserve to be punished!”

Hizashi flinched back, expecting the crippling pain to course through his body just as Hiashi barked, “Control yourself, Harue-dono! You are in the presence of guests!”

Hiashi was about to reprimand the Elder further when he noticed his father’s wide-eyed and absolutely gobsmacked expression.

“Father…?”

He followed Hiromasa’s gaze, freezing when he saw that his brother wasn’t writhing in pain like he usually did whenever the Caged Bird Seal was activated. Hizashi himself was confused, braced for the torture that never came.

“Nii-san, what…?”

The younger Hyuuga twin looked completely lost; Harue’s hand was still held up in the required hand seal but nothing happened.

Not even a tiny spark of pain.

Hiashi realized what had probably happened and swallowed, turning to face the opposite end of the table. The rest of the Hyuuga followed his lead, heads swivelling towards their guests.

Hand resting on the table over a paper, which Hiashi presumed was a seal, Hikari looked deceptively calm. But the waves of anger that rolled off her small frame told another story. Her eyes were shadowed by her bangs but Hiashi would bet everything that they were furious.

“Big mistake,” she spoke softly, looking up. Blue eyes had darkened, transforming to an almost terrifying purple in the light. “You shouldn’t have done that, Hyuuga Harue-san.”

“What did you do, girl?!”

Hikari tilted her head slightly to the right, the gesture seeming almost innocent. But her gaze cut deep, into Hiromasa’s very soul and left him bare for her to see his every secret. “I thought it was obvious that I _detested_ your cursed seal. Did you really think I would let it be used in front of me?”

The question sparked outrage and the Elders started speaking all at once. One of them who was closer to Hiashi’s age than the others, a man who went by the name of Hachirou, snarled and launched himself at the girl. He held himself in the opening stance of the Jyuuken as he ran on the table.

“How dare you belittle us, Uzumaki!”

Shisui cursed mentally, _‘I hoped this wouldn’t happen!’_

He had known and expected an attack to happen the moment Harue intended to torture Hizashi, because that was when Hikari’s chakra went completely cold and terrifying, when she placed that seal on the table with contrasting gentleness.

But when he moved to intercept the Hyuuga, Hikari held up a hand in a silent signal for him to remain in place.

_“Trust that I know what I’m doing.”_

Her words from before resounded in his head and Shisui bit his lip nervously.

_‘Damn it, Hikari-chan!’_

Despite all his instincts telling him to move, Shisui stilled; Hikari wouldn’t let herself get hurt so she probably had a plan.

Hopefully.

Hachirou’s palm struck out at the girl’s chest, intending to damage the tenketsu in her heart. He didn’t care if he killed her; no one questioned his pride as a Hyuuga and certainly not his authority over the Branch Family.

But his attack never met its intended target.

He hit an invisible wall a mere inch away from the redhead, the force of the impact on the unexpected obstacle throwing him back onto the table.

“Did that hurt your poor pride?”

Hikari spoke with a mocking tone and stood up, her dress swishing with the movement. Even though she was a child, she held herself with a confidence that not even most adults had, an air of nobility and elegance in her posture.

She met the gaze of each Hyuuga around the table one by one, holding the stare for a few seconds until they broke it, unable to look into her blazing blue eyes.

“Did you really think I would come here without thinking about the implications of my request?” Hikari asked, in a mildly curious tone. But her aura was the opposite of her expression, dark and threatening. “That I wasn’t prepared for any of you reacting this way?”

Hiashi cleared his throat in an attempt to get her attention and when the Uzumaki looked at him, asked, “What did you do?”

“I neutralized your Caged Bird Seal.”

The single statement threw the room into chaos again and Shisui sighed, relaxing a little. He stared at the girl’s back, her long ponytail flaring out over her shoulders like a crimson cloak. _‘That’s just like Hikari-chan. She practically thrives on chaos.’_

“That is not possible!” the hot-headed Hachirou yelled, rather stupidly ignoring the furious glare from his Clan Head. “Our seal is superior than a child’s!”

“Enough!”

Hiashi’s angered voice rang through the room and everyone quieted. “Is this how the Hyuuga behave?” he demanded, pure fury in his words. One of his Elders had dared to use the Caged Bird Seal, when he had specifically told them not to do so earlier that day, for the duration of the meeting.

Yet Harue had disobeyed his order and Hachirou had charged the redhead recklessly.

“Hachirou-dono, do you understand what you have done? You have attempted to hurt or even kill Uzumaki-san, who is under the protection of Hokage-sama, evident by the fact that he chose _Shunshin no Shisui_ to guard her.”

The Clan Head knew that it was mostly because of the two children’s familiarity but Uchiha Shisui was a highly renowned Jounin, even though he was very young. If Hiruzen had required his skills elsewhere, the boy would have been assigned a different mission.

Hachirou paled; he had heard of the Uchiha before and realized that if the Uzumaki had not stopped him, the Jounin could have even killed him and not be punished for it.

The rest of the Elders hung their heads, feeling embarrassed over losing their composure in front of children.

“Uzumaki-san, no matter what, we cannot grant your request,” Hiromasa told the girl, a faint tremble in his voice. Her seal had shocked him and he had yet to regain himself.

Hikari raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. In her black and violet dress, she cut a rather intimidating figure, enough to unnerve a room of adults. “Then I’ll just have to tell everyone that the Hyuuga won’t honour their debts,” she shrugged easily. “Imagine what that would do to your reputations. Especially when it’s revealed that one of you attacked the person who saved your heiress _and_ your clan.”

“You would resort to blackmail?”

“Yes,” she snapped back furiously. “You would brand _children_ with that seal of yours. As an Uzumaki, with sealing as my heritage, I cannot allow such a thing to happen. And as a decent person, I will **not** condone torture. Blackmail is the least of your problems.”

Hikari stood firm, even when the Hyuuga Elders tried to stare her down.

She would _not_ fail here.

“And besides,” a devious smirk crossed her lips, sending shivers down their spines, “who says I need _your_ permission? I’ve done my research; in matters of debts like these, I can ask for practically anything but the dissolution of the clan. The only one whose opinion matters is the Clan Head’s, not you Elders.”

Realizing that her words were the truth, the Elders turned to their Head, protesting, “Hiashi-sama, you cannot possibly consider the girl’s request! It would upset the entire clan!”

Hiashi didn’t respond; instead he stared wordlessly at Hikari who returned the gaze.

After a long tense silence, the man bowed his head, indicating his acknowledgement of her request.

“Hiashi-sama, you can’t-!”

“Silence, Hideki-dono,” Hiashi ordered, mentally exhausted but the exhilarating feeling of triumph was beginning to overpower it. “Uzumaki-san speaks the truth and if the price of our debt is the abolition of the Caged Bird Seal, we will honour it.”

“Hiromasa-sama, please say something!”

For his part, the former Clan Head looked steadily into the eyes of his eldest son. “Is this what you have truly decided, Hiashi?”

“It is, Father,” came the prompt but confident reply. “Uzumaki-san is right in that the torture caused by the Caged Bird Seal is inhuman and we are treating our brethren like slaves. It is time that we become one family again.”

“And what of our bloodline?”

“I am certain we can come up with a seal that only protects the Byakugan and not hurt the person who bears it.”

Finally acknowledging his defeat, Hiromasa bowed his head to his son. “If you believe that this is the right path, then proceed. But be aware that the consequences may be too much to bear.”

Hiashi shook his head, disagreeing with his father’s opinion. “I _know_ that this is the right path, Father, and I will not hesitate. I will take responsibility for my actions.”

“Very well. This Council shall follow our Clan Head’s orders.”

* * *

Hikari slumped on the table when the door slid closed behind the last Hyuuga Elder, leaving only her, Shisui and the Hyuuga twins in the room.

“I swear, anymore and I would have snapped.”

“More than you already did?” Shisui asked drily, putting his kunai back in the holster. He moved to sit next to her, patting her back gently. “You freaked the life out of them already and you’re saying you would do _more_?”

She turned her head to look at him with a pout. “Yeah,” she admitted dully, holding up her hand to show her thumb and her index finger, a millimetre of space between them. “I was this close to slapping their stupid seal on them and letting them experience it first-hand.”

“You know how to place the Caged Bird Seal, Uzumaki-san?”

“Yep. It was pretty easy to deconstruct actually.”

It had been one of the two seals Hikari had studied extensively when she had started learning Fuuinjutsu, the other being Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal. The Caged Bird Seal was rather crude compared to the other seals she had seen and it had been fairly simple to pick apart once she had gotten the hang of it.

“Easy,” Hizashi repeated disbelievingly. He was still in shock at the girl’s ability to neutralize it and now she was saying it was _easy_ to deconstruct a seal that had haunted the Hyuuga Branch Family for _generations_?

Hikari grinned, poking the man’s cheek playfully and laughing when he didn’t react. “Oh my, did I break him? Should I say that I can even remove it?”

Now it was Hiashi’s turn to short-circuit.

“You _what_?”

“I can do it,” the redhead confirmed cheerfully, bouncing a little in her seat. “Won’t even take five minutes.”

Shisui shook his head fondly; it was just like what he and Itachi had predicted. Hikari did have a way to remove the Cage Bird Seal and she said it like it was _nothing_.

Hiashi recovered rapidly, staring at the Uzumaki with tentative hope. “Can you really do it?” he asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, glancing at his brother.

“If Hikari-chan says she can do something, you shouldn’t doubt her,” Shisui remarked with an easy smile, knowing that the Clan Head was completely shaken. Wait, Hizashi was even more rattled than he was.

Gathering all of his hope and determination, Hiashi bowed his head to the startled redhead, forehead pressed to the floor. “Uzumaki-san,” he started, voice shaking as he tried to reign in his tumultuous emotions. “Please provide us with your aid in removing the Caged Bird Seal. No matter what you ask in return, I will grant it.”

The words startled Hizashi and he stared at the bowed form of his older brother. Even if he had witnessed the other Hyuuga spending sleepless nights trying to find a way to save his son from his fate as a Branch Family member, he had not truly believed or held any hope of success.

But the redhead who had appeared like a whirlwind in their lives, who had saved Hinata and by extension the two brothers’ lives, as well as the pride of their clan, had ground all his fears into dust. Not only had Hikari somehow stopped the function of the Cage Bird Seal, she had managed to get the Elders to accept her demand of abolishing the cursed seal entirely.

_‘And now she says she has a way to even remove it….can I truly hope for it?’_

Hikari sat in shock for a few seconds, staring at Hiashi. Once the other’s position registered in her brain, she panicked and flailed, much to Shisui’s hidden glee.

“Stop that, Hiashi-san! I don’t need anything from you; I’m doing this because I want to!”

The Hyuuga Head raised his head, pale eyes meeting wide blue ones. “I don’t understand, Uzumaki-san,” he admitted in a low voice. “You had no reason to actually go through with your claim. Money, power, clan secrets…you could have asked for anything you wanted. But still you did something that would serve no purpose for you.”

Scratching her cheek with a finger, Hikari took on a vaguely confused but exasperated expression. “But it’s what I want, Hiashi-san. I told you I hated the seal; if I really wanted to, I could have barged in and removed it by force.”

“We would have stopped you,” Hizashi automatically said, watching the girl with a blank expression. “There is no way you could take on the entire Hyuuga Clan.”

Hikari laughed out loud at that and shook her head, “Are you thinking about Kumo’s attempt? Sorry, Hizashi-san, but that happened because I didn’t expect it. There’s a reason why Uzumaki Seal Masters were feared so widely.”

She turned to the other Hyuuga, “I chose this way because it was the path with least repercussions. I don’t want the Branch Family -wait, that’s redundant now- I didn’t want anyone to be hurt.”

Hiashi nodded a little dumbly, astounded by the amount of thought Hikari had put into her actions. He had to wonder what made her so determined to change his clan. _‘Whatever it is, I am truly grateful for it.’_

With that cleared up, Hikari pulled out a stack of papers from her bracelet’s storage seals, taking the top one and examining it. No matter how confident she was in her ability, it wouldn’t hurt to recheck everything.

While she was doing that, something occurred to Hizashi and he decided to voice it.

“Uzumaki-san?”

“Hmm?”

“If your request had not been accepted, what would you have done?”

Hikari blinked, turning to face the younger Hyuuga twin. “I had no plans of failing,” she told him with a bemused smile. “But I suppose if I had to consider that….I would have demanded immediate custody of Neji.”

Hizashi stared. Just what…?

“I like him and seeing that he isn’t sealed, it would have ensured that he didn’t get it at all.”

“What would that accomplish?” Shisui butted in, genuinely curious about how his friend’s brain worked. He was quite smart himself but the way Hikari made huge leaps of logic, connecting completely different things was beyond him.

“It means that he would come under Jiji’s protection and the Hyuuga Clan wouldn’t be able to interfere in his life,” the redhead replied absently, checking the rest of the counter seals on the table. “After that, I would just have to convince the next generation to get rid of the stupid seal.”

“Seriously, you thought that far?”

“Not at all. I told you, I didn’t plan on leaving without succeeding.”

Hikari turned towards Hizashi, staring straight into his eyes with a wide, mischievous grin pasted on her face as she held up a seal. “Now, shall we do this?”

* * *

Fugaku glanced at the clock with a frown. It was almost noon; Hikari and Shisui had left at eight in the morning and they had yet to return.

He doubted it would take that long to finish the meeting.

 _‘I know that Hikari was planning on demanding the abolition of the Hyuuga’s seal,’_ he thought, staring out the window when laughter reached his ears. The kids were playing in the backyard, Mikoto and Itachi watching over them. None of the Uchiha batted an eye at them anymore, far too used to the sight of four children running through the Uchiha Compound, even if two of them were Hyuuga and one being the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

It was hard to stay cold towards them when they exuded innocence like any other child.

_‘Whether Hiashi agreed to it or not, it shouldn’t take so long.’_

Fugaku was certain that the redhead would press as far as she could and he had the feeling that she would emerge victorious, even if the Hyuuga Elders gave her trouble. After all, her wish was something that Fugaku knew Hiashi desired too.

The distant sound of the front door being opened was the only warning the Uchiha Head had before Shisui’s voice echoed through the house.

“We’re back! And with guests!”

Fugaku stepped into the hallway, intending to greet his nephew and the Uzumaki girl when the words registered. _‘Guests?’_

True to what he had heard, three Hyuuga were standing just inside the front door but that wasn’t what shocked him. It was the two men who looked completely identical, from head to toe.

_Without a single dissimilarity._

Hikari giggled, entertained by the gobsmacked expression on her host’s face but didn’t say anything. “Where’s Naruto? And the rest?” she asked, with a grin that revealed nothing. “Actually, never mind. I can hear them. Come on, Shisui!”

She grabbed the boy’s hand in a vice-like grip and dragged him after her as Shisui tried to protest, “Hikari-chan, you should get changed first! You can’t ruin your dress, you know!”

“Oh, _fine_! Way to spoil the mood, idiot.”

The two children’s voices faded away as they headed deeper into the house, presumably to get changed into casual clothes before joining the rest of the kids outside.

“Fugaku? Are the children back?” Mikoto hurried into the hallway, having got in through the back door when she thought she had heard Hikari’s voice. The woman froze just like her husband when she noticed the three Hyuuga, “Hitomi?”

Said Hyuuga gave a weak and hesitant smile. The two women had been friends during their time in the Academy but had drifted apart after making Genin, only tethered together by their mutual friend. And after Kushina had died, that flimsy tie had snapped.

“Hello, Mikoto.”

Fugaku finally unfroze and released a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Am I to assume that this is Hikari’s doing?” he asked, gesturing vaguely to Hizashi’s unblemished forehead. He shouldn’t really have been surprised; the girl did the most impossible things with a innocent face and this was no different.

Allowing a small smile to appear on his face, Hiashi nodded. The two Clan Heads held each other’s gaze for a moment, the Hyuuga silently telling him that he had kept the promise he had made that night in the Hokage Tower. Perhaps it had been through Uzumaki Hikari, but he had succeeded nevertheless.

“I can’t imagine your Elders being pleased with having to acquiesce to getting rid of your cursed seal,” Fugaku remarked, leading his guests into the living room as Mikoto disappeared into the kitchen to get refreshments.

“They weren’t,” Hiashi agreed, not missing the note of concern in the Uchiha’s voice. _‘So Fugaku cares about Uzumaki-san.’_

After a split second of thought, he added, “One of them tried to attack her.”

Fugaku snorted, almost pitying the poor fool who had made the attempt. Hikari was in no way defenceless and Shisui would slaughter anyone who dared to even touch the redhead. “I suppose either Hikari or Shisui stopped it.”

“It was Uzumaki-san,” Hizashi spoke up from his brother’s side, accepting the cup of tea Mikoto placed in front of him with a quiet word of thanks. “Uchiha-kun was about to move but she signalled him to stand down before triggering some sort of barrier seal.”

“What caused the attack?” the question came from Mikoto, who looked openly concerned.

“Harue-dono attempted to hurt Hizashi with the Caged Bird Seal,” Hiashi replied softly, eyes flickering to his brother for a mere instant. “Uzumaki-san took offence to that and activated a counter seal.”

Both Uchiha at the table blinked.

“You’re saying that Hikari neutralized the seal _and_ removed it?”

Hiashi had to hide a snort at the incredulous look Fugaku directed at him. It helped that he himself had probably had a similar expression earlier as well.

“Yes. She claimed it was easy.”

“Of course she did,” Fugaku murmured, running a hand over his face. He was proven right in his assumption that Hikari was more talented than she let on and had to wonder if Kumo’s success in taking her from her house was a fluke.

“Uzumaki-san’s skills will no longer remain a secret, when news of her involvement in my clan spreads.”

“Do you intend to publicize it?”

Hiashi shook his head; somehow, he had developed a fondness for the young girl and he suspected that almost all of the former Branch Family members were going to be fiercely protective of the one who had released them from a lifetime of pain and unfair subordination.

“Something of this magnitude will be known soon enough,” he told the other man, who had a grim look. “She _will_ attract unwanted attention.”

“Her stunt of spurning the Advisors when they wanted her seals and now freely offering them to your clan will not sit with them, especially not Danzo,” Fugaku mused; he had thought that Hikari had plenty of courage to face down the three Advisors and tell them straight to their faces that she didn’t like or respect them.

Now he was wondering if that move had been wise.

“Regardless, Uzumaki-san will have allies amongst the Hyuuga,” Hitomi spoke up suddenly, a quiet determination in her voice as she stared at the men. “She has done more for us than anyone else and it would only be right if we protected her as much as we can.”

All of them bowed to that, Fugaku once again acknowledging that Hikari had helped his clan as well. A small smirk broke through his stony façade, unnoticed by the rest of them.

_‘Shikaku likes Hikari, which means that she has the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans behind her. The Uchiha, even if most of us do not know what she has done for us, will also shield her if necessary. And now she has the Hyuuga.’_

That was already more than half of the Clan Council and Fugaku could even count on Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi to rise to the girl’s aid, even if it was only for Uzumaki Naruto’s sake.

There was also the case of one of ANBU’s legends, Hatake Kakashi; if the few rumours he had heard were true, the teen had latched onto the Uzumaki children.

Then there was the Hokage as well.

Let the Advisors try; Uzumaki Hikari had the protection of powerful allies now, even if she didn’t know it yet.

No one would lay a hand on the girl who had affected Konoha so very positively in the span of three meagre months.

* * *

Hizashi trailed behind his brother and sister-in-law as Fugaku led them to the backyard. One hand absently reached to his forehead, marvelling at the absence of the uncomfortable chakra that had been in the Caged Bird Seal.

_“Come over here, Hizashi-san,” the little redhead beckoned with a hand, blue eyes still trained on the seal in front of her hand. “And take off your hitai-ate, please.”_

_Hizashi looked askance at his brother, if they could trust this frankly unknown girl to remove a seal that no one had ever been able to undo. Hiashi met his gaze solemnly, a hint of trust in his pale eyes as he nodded once._

_“Hikari-chan’s seals always work, Hyuuga-dono,” Shisui chirped cheerfully and completely out of the blue, earning an eye roll from the redhead and mildly dubious looks from the two Hyuuga. “Although it may not mean much to you, coming from an Uchiha, but I know that she wouldn’t use seals that could hurt others when she means otherwise.”_

_“Shut up, Shisui,” Hikari muttered, cheeks pink as she ducked her head a little in embarrassment. “It’s your choice, Hizashi-san. Also know that it isn’t a one-time offer; if you don’t want it now but later change your mind, I’ll be willing to do it.”_

_Hizashi swallowed around the huge lump in his throat at the earnest words. There was no doubt that the Uzumaki meant it and he could easily refuse._

_But there was a large part of him that **wanted** it, wanted the seal on his forehead gone forever._

_To never be under the mercy of the few Main Family members that liked to torture him for their entertainment._

_Gathering his courage, Hizashi raised a hand and pulled on the knot holding his hitai-ate on his head, letting it slip free. The mark on his forehead was now visible for the world to see and he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the disgust that would no doubt appear in the children’s eyes._

_Featherlight fingertips grazed against the skin of his forehead, making the Hyuuga stiffen. “Relax, Hizashi-san,” Hikari’s suddenly quiet voice reached his ears, the undertone of confidence, calm and comfort making his tense muscles relax subconsciously._

_The redhead’s fingers withdrew and Hizashi felt the paper seal pressed right against the centre of the Caged Bird Seal. It was now or never._

_“Release.”_

_Silence followed the whispered word; for an instant, everything was still and then came the rush of chakra._

_There was no pain, Hizashi realized; only pure, unadulterated chakra flowed into him, chakra which he could tell belonged to Hikari. The chakra seemed to be focused on the tenketsu in his head, although he could feel a little coursing through his chakra network as well._

_Time seemed to be inconsequential, when all he could feel was the bright chakra._

_After what felt like hours but was actually no more than two minutes, Hizashi felt something snap and give way, the bright chakra disappearing as well._

_He opened his eyes, immediately being met with the beaming smile of the redhead in front of him. She gave him a single nod, genuine happiness lighting up her eyes before she moved away, dropping down next to Shisui._

_“Hizashi?”_

_His brother’s cautiously hopeful voice made him turn around automatically, Hiashi’s gaze immediately darting to his forehead._

_“…Nii-san? Is it truly…?”_

_Hizashi trailed off, not wanting to voice it and then find out it was all a lie. Opposite him, Hiashi swallowed, one hand reaching for him and Hizashi startled when he noticed the sheen of tears in his brother’s eyes._

_“…yes.”_

_One word._

_Just one word and his whole world was tilted upside down._

_Wanting to see for himself, the need to **know**_ _burning him up, Hizashi frantically looked around for something reflective, frustration building when he saw none._

_Shisui noticed his plight and threw a kunai in his direction, offering him a wide grin when Hizashi caught it and returning to his conversation with Hikari._

_The Hyuuga silently thanked the boy and took a deep breath, angling the kunai in his hand so that he could see his face reflected on the metal._

_‘Oh.’_

Hizashi knew he could never repay Uzumaki Hikari for the gift she had given him and the rest of his clan. But it seemed like the girl honestly didn’t want anything in return for her kindness, looking utterly confused when anyone brought it up.

Laughter distracted him from his thoughts and let him know that they had reached the backyard of the Uchiha’s house. His heart clenched when he saw that his son was tumbling around in the snow alongside Hinata and the other kids, appearing to be a normal child.

Neji had always been rather contained, leading Hizashi to worry if the boy would ever allow himself to relax. It was a sight for sore eyes to see the boy acting his age.

“Father?”

Hizashi snapped back to attention, gaze immediately connecting with his son’s. Neji was wide-eyed, staring at him unblinkingly, most probably out of shock.

“Neji.”

Fortunately for the two of them, Hikari took pity on them and nudged Neji, prompting the boy to run towards his father. Hizashi didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around his son in a way he had never done before, swallowing the sob that threatened to slip past his lips.

_‘Neji will never have to suffer that curse.'_

It finally sunk in, the implications of what Hikari had done. Until he had laid eyes on his son, Hizashi hadn’t allowed himself to accept the truth.

“Father?” Neji called, staring at the man’s clear forehead. “Your seal is gone.”

Hizashi laughed a little, a bit thrown by the clear confusion in the child’s voice. “Yes, Neji. It has been removed,” he said simply.

“Why?”

“Because-”

The feeling of intense eyes on him stopped Hizashi from continuing his sentence and he looked up to see Hikari staring at him. She shook her head, holding her finger up to her lips in a request for silence.

He frowned but went along with it, instead telling his son that the clan had decided that it was no longer necessary.

“Oh. Will I get the seal?”

“No, Neji,” Hizashi murmured, relief washing over him. His son would never have to experience the cruelty of the Caged Bird Seal. It was everything he could ask for.

Later when Neji had run back to his friends - _friends_ , his stoic son had actually made _friends_ \- Hizashi watched Hikari with curious eyes as she came to stand next to him.

“Why do you not want Neji to know the truth?” he asked, not understanding why the redhead wanted to keep it quiet. “It would solidify his loyalty to you.”

Hikari smiled sadly at the words and shook her head. “I don’t want that,” she replied, warm blue eyes trained on the four kids tackling a laughing Shisui into the snow, a quietly amused Itachi watching them from high up in a tree.

Even Fugaku and Mikoto were outside, conversing with Hiashi and Hitomi, pausing now and then to smile fondly at their children.

“Neji deserves to grow up with no restraints,” Hikari continued. “He will no doubt know the truth one day but I don’t want it to tie him to me.”

“Why are you so determined to protect my son? He is nothing to you.”

“He’s Naruto’s friend and someone I care for as well. I’ve lost too many friends to lose more, Hizashi-san.”

The man didn’t say anything after that and Hikari drifted away from him, laughing in delight when Sasuke’s cleverly aimed snowball hit Itachi in the face. Naruto took it as a cue to start pelting everyone in the vicinity with snowballs, prompting Hinata and Neji to follow him.

Even the five adults were dragged in eventually, the fight evolving into outright war.

 _‘Yes, this is how things should be,’_ Hikari thought with a content smile, ducking behind a tree to avoid a barrage of snowballs. _‘This is nice.’_

The world would catch up eventually and she would have to return to reality, to fix the mistakes of the past that were in her power to do so.

But now for now Hikari was happy to live in this little bubble of love and laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Initially I planned the two Nara appearing in this chapter but it ended up so long that I had to cut it out.  
> Sorry, folks.
> 
> The village and clan politics are completely made up by yours truly and I don't actually know if there was anything in canon. If there was, ignore the inconsistencies. (not that I care, since there's going to be _very_ little canon in here.)
> 
> I do have a question for everyone: The Wave Arc, do I stick to canon timeline for that?  
> Curiosity got the better of me and I started researching it early even though it won't come up for a while.  
> Should Hikari prevent Kaiza's death? She certainly is in the correct time for it. The Wave mission was one of the turning points in canon Naruto's life and I doubt he would sit still and let things go the same way if he had a chance to change it.  
> What are your opinions on this matter?
> 
> Next time...I really don't know.  
> Perhaps Uzumaki-Nara dinner, a short time skip and more Nara...?  
> We'll see next week!
> 
> Edit: Why do people keep asking this? I've already mentioned in chapters 4 and 7 (that I remember off the bat) that Itachi is a Genin.  
> His old team is gone and he's currently not in any team.
> 
> Posted: 26/06/2020


	12. Shifting winds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hyuuga arc ends. Fluff, puzzles and a hint of the hidden darkness in the roots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, everyone! I really did mean to keep to my update schedule but I got so swamped in work that I could barely write a sentence...  
> But the chapter is finished now and I hope to update at least twice a month, if not weekly.
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Ay grit his teeth as he shook the Hokage’s hand in an outward expression of friendliness. But there was nothing he could but swallow his humiliation and rage, if he wanted his village to remain unharmed.

“Well then, until next time, Raikage-dono,” Hiruzen said to him, head inclined in a show of respect.

“Likewise, Hokage-dono.”

The two Kage stood at the gates of Konoha, the party from Kumo about to depart after signing the new treaty between the two shinobi villages.

Kumo had gotten the short end of the stick when they had attempted to steal two of Konoha’s bloodlines and if they didn’t want to spark a war that could probably weaken their villages further -especially Kumo, since Konoha seemed lax about the idea for some reason- the new treaty had to be upheld.

One of the conditions for Konoha backing off -mostly- was for the Raikage to sign the treaty in person, to at least give the impression of upholding it the second time.

It was also a power play on the Hokage’s part, to show that Konoha was not weakened in any way by the Shinobi wars or Kumo’s failed abduction attempt, by demanding that the other Kage leave his village.

Once the final formalities and platitudes were completed, Ay took off, not wanting to remain in Konoha any longer. Soft footfalls let him know that his men were following, surrounding him in a defensive formation.

Running did not soothe the fury thundering through him, hastening his movements as he ran in the direction of Kaminari no Kuni. It was the first time since he had become Raikage that he had had to leave his village and it was because of a botched mission that was supposed to happen in his favor.

He scowled; how the hell had his men failed?

“That’s enough,” Ay growled once they were about fifty miles away from Konoha, deeming it safe to stop for a minute to get answers.

The shinobi came to a halt around their leader, shifting uneasily at the waves of anger radiating off the man. After a few seconds, Jin stepped forward and dropped into a kneeling position in front of the Raikage. Gou and Hiroto immediately followed, heads bent as they knelt behind the Head Shinobi.

“I apologize for my failure, Raikage-sama,” Jin spoke in a crisp but otherwise bland tone, well aware that his mistake had cost a lot to Kumo. It wouldn’t be farfetched to assume that he would lose his head if Ay so desired it.

Said man held himself taller, arms crossed as he stared at the back of Jin’s head. “I don’t want your apologies,” Ay snapped angrily, making the rest of his men flinch. “What happened?!”

Jin reported the events that had occurred during the attempted kidnapping in a succinct manner, ensuring that even the tiniest detail wasn’t left out.

Ay felt his incredulity rise with every word that spilled out of the other man’s mouth, eyebrows rising until they almost reached his hairline.

“You’re saying you were bested by a _child_?!”

Wincing a little at the harsh shout, Jin replied, “Yes, Raikage-sama. The Uzumaki seemed harmless but apparently has some skill with sealing. And…”

Jin swallowed, a frisson of fear travelling down his spine as he remembered those cold blue eyes. He hadn’t realized it earlier but his stay in Konoha’s T&I had given him enough time to analyze what had happened and how they had failed.

The Uzumaki, for all that she had seemed weak and delicate, had directed an intense amount of killing intent at him and only him. Subtle but strong enough to unnerve him and make him lose all rationality.

“That girl is no simple child, Raikage-sama. Even if she had been truly frightened when Gou and Hiroto took her, I did not see an ounce of fear when she took us down.”

It was silent after that, none of the men moving and the only sound being the slight rustling of the leaves in the wind. Ay looked contemplative; he was picking apart his Head Shinobi’s words, whose voice had _trembled_ when he had spoken about the Uzumaki.

Was a little brat so capable of scaring his men?

Ay harrumphed, turning around on his heel and stomping away. The other Kumo nin exchanged hesitant glances before following, unsure if their leader was going to have another outburst.

The truth was, he really was interested in this girl. The reason he had initially demanded to see the one who had defeated his men was to kill them on the spot. He had no intention of making peace with Konoha and if he sparked another war, then fine. Ay had no intention of letting Kumogakure be seen as weak.

But to his surprise, Konoha had not relented and pushed them to agree to the treaty. The clincher was that they had no reservations in involving the Daimyo of either nations. If Ay had not conceded to the new terms then their Daimyo would have been alerted.

The Daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni was not a man who allowed losses and would have definitely cut their funding. If that happened then Kumo would have had to face a mad scramble to acquire resources and it would have sent a message to the other shinobi villages that they had lost their power.

In the end, it had been the treaty or loss of resources.

Ay, for all that he desired more strength for his village, did not want Kumo to suffer.

_‘Konoha did not even pursue their advantage,’_ he thought, frustrated. _‘Is this another ploy or are they genuine?’_

Indeed, the new treaty was actually favorable to both sides, with an agreement to not interfere in matters concerning the other village without explicit permission. If their shinobi encountered each other on missions, they were to ignore it as much as possible. Border crossings would be more closely monitored.

The Raikage did not doubt that tensions between Kumo and Konoha would rise, but they had time to build up their forces.

_‘This Uzumaki girl must be eliminated if possible,’_ Ay decided with certainty. Even as a young child, she was able to take down three experienced Jounin with ease. Letting her grow up into a powerhouse, as Uzumaki used to be acclaimed for, would be a great mistake.

As strong as she was, there was no question of whether she would become a shinobi. An ‘accidental’ encounter on the field and she would be done for. All that was needed were careful planning and an opportunity.

Hikari snorted with amusement, perched on the roof of one of the houses in the Uchiha compound and hidden by the shadows of the trees near her. She couldn’t tell what Ay was thinking but monitoring his chakra told her that he was most likely considering a chance of offing her or something along those lines.

How predictable.

In her mindscape, Kurama snorted alongside her. **_“Does he really think he can kill you?”_**

_“In his defense, Ay doesn’t know I’m a time/dimension travelling Jinchuuriki,”_ Hikari replied with an innocent grin, staring up into the fox’s eyes. _“Specifically, **your**_ _Jinchuurki.”_

That earned her another snort and her grin widened at the sight of the Bijuu laughing. It was true; not even Hiruzen and Kakashi knew the true extent of her skills and she intended to keep it that way.

Kage Bunshin, Fuuinjutsu and Hiraishin were only a small part of her repertoire.

Speaking of her skills, Hikari had improved her sensing range yet again, now capable of almost covering the entirety of Hi no Kuni if she stretched herself. It would prove useful in the future. She was currently using her ability to spy on the Raikage and his entourage, to ensure that he didn’t have any nefarious plans up his sleeve.

Surprisingly, Killer B had not accompanied his brother but she supposed that bringing a known Jinchuuriki would count as a declaration of aggression. The air in the village would have been even more hostile and wary if the Jinchuuriki of the Hachibi had tagged along with his brother for the negotiations.

**_“I’m surprised you’re fine with smacking Kumo in the face like this,”_** Kurama stated, genuinely curious about his container’s thoughts. **_“You fought alongside them before.”_**

Hikari grumbled a bit, flopping onto her back and feeling the chill from the tiles seep into her clothes. It had stopped snowing but it was still winter. Not that it bothered her much.

_“It’s because they’re hypocritical bastards,”_ she eventually admitted. Even if she had gotten along with Ay in her dimension somewhat decently, it was truly Killer B whom she had bonded with. _“They condemn other villages for their mistakes loudly but then they steal bloodlines and other treasures.”_

Kurama hummed in response, resting his head on his paws as he leveled one crimson eye at the redhead. **_“What about their treatment of their Bijuu and Jinchuuriki?”_**

_“You’re asking that on purpose,”_ Hikari accused him, glaring at the question which had an obvious answer. She pouted when Kurama gave her a deadpan stare, _“Stupid Kurama! You know that I’m conflicted on that!”_

It was the truth; on one hand, Kumo treated their Jinchuuriki and the Bijuu as mere tools and not sentient beings with emotions, running them to the ground with severe training. On the other hand, they also got a decent amount of respect from the village.

_“Honestly, I don’t know what I should do about the Jinchuuriki,”_ Hikari whispered in a low voice, one hand rising to grab the fox’s fur in a tight grip. _“I know that some of them suffer because of the Bijuu in them, I know that they might not have chosen their fate but far too many have seen you guys as weapons or mindless beasts.”_

It was true; even her mother had feared and hated the Kyuubi.

Of course, Hikari didn’t want the current Jinchuuriki to be hunted down by the Akatsuki, knowing some of them well enough to know that they were good people. But that was for the future.

She resolutely didn’t think about Gaara. That was a dilemma for when she had a clearer head.

Kurama rolled his eyes at the conflicted expression on the girl’s face and gently smacked her head with a tail, gaining her attention. **_“Back to my point, are you fine with this?”_**

Hikari blinked, before recalling their original conversation. She shrugged, _“I don’t know them in this world. There might be a chance that they won’t be similar to the people I knew. But my first priority is Konoha right now.”_

She would definitely turn her attention to the matters outside the village once she was done with the stuff she needed to do in Konoha but for the moment, she felt no regret in cornering Kumo.

**_“Hmph. When did you grow up?”_ **

_“Right about the time when a whacked-up rabbit destroyed my world.”_

A flick to her forehead jolted her out of her mindscape and she blinked dazedly; when did she become so comfortable with that chakra signature that she subconsciously classified him as an ally?

“What are you doing up here, Hikari-chan?”

Shisui’s grinning face popped into her line of sight, the boy looming over her head. He had followed her tracks when the redhead hadn’t returned after fifteen minutes; the delegation from Kumo might have left but he still worried.

“Nothing much, really,” Hikari murmured, rubbing the red spot on her forehead. She took the offered hand and let Shisui pull her up, channeling a little chakra to her feet to prevent herself from sliding off the slippery roof. “Just needed some fresh air.”

She wasn’t lying; spying on Kumo was just a bonus.

The Uchiha hummed, taking her words at face value. “Kumo’s finally gone,” he said absently, looking in the direction of Konoha’s gates. He wasn’t a sensor but he could feel the tension that had hung over the village for the past week slowly dissipating, proof that the foreign nin had left.

“Yeah,” the redhead agreed, hopping off the roof to land on the street below. Shisui followed, the pair making their way towards the Uchiha Main house. “So that means you’ll be going back home.”

The strange inflection in the way the boy said the words made Hikari pause and she quirked an eyebrow at him. “What are you thinking?”

All she got in a reply was a guileless smile and a mild shrug of the shoulders.

Hikari squinted at her friend, not buying the innocent act. But she really wasn’t in the mood to decipher the look in his eyes and decided to come back to it later.

Focusing back on her senses, she noted that the Kumo delegation had started moving again, this time with no apparent intention to stop.

She decided that there was no more need to keep tabs on them and withdrew, her range shrinking back to her natural radius. Kumo wasn’t going to be anything more than a blip on her radar for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Hikari sighed, gaze darting to the sulking form of the blond toddler sitting on the floor in a far corner. Naruto wasn’t really mad at her per se, but he had been moody and upset ever since the two had returned from their stay at the Uchiha Compound.

_‘He misses his friends,’_ she thought with a little twinge of amusement. Even she had been deprived of company, since Shisui had been sent out on a long mission after the new agreement with Kumo had been finalized and it had been deemed safe to let her be without a guard.

She caught glimpses of Itachi whenever she went into the village, the boy doing a few solo D-Ranks since he didn’t have a team anymore.

“Is Naruto still not done sulking?”

Kakashi’s incredulous question made Hikari snort and turn to face him; the teen was staring at the dark cloud over the little boy’s head.

“He’s just being stubborn,” she replied, resting her chin on her palm. “He got used to having Sasuke, Hinata and Neji around all the time. Now he’s just feeling a little lonely.”

It wasn’t that Hikari couldn’t understand; he missed her time with her two friends too. Kakashi didn’t count since she was accustomed to him disappearing for his missions. Although she did notice an increase in the amount of time he was spending at her house lately…

“I suppose so,” Kakashi said, still staring at the boy. “I don’t remember ever being like him.”

“That’s because you were a little rule-abiding troll of a shinobi-in-training at his age.”

Kakashi chuckled at the near accurate description of his younger self. He had started training the moment he was able to handle a kunai and his father’s reputation as the White Fang had only spurred his motivation.

“True. Think Naruto would like to play with the pack?”

Hikari shrugged, shooing the teen away. “Worth a try.”

The ANBU extended a hand to ruffle the redhead’s hair, messing it up. Hikari squawked indignantly and slapped the offending limb away, glaring at him while she tried to fix her hair. Kakashi only eye-smiled at her death glare and walked away.

“Hey, Naru-chan,” he greeted the little boy, crouching next to him.

Naruto peeked a dull blue eye at him. “Hi, Kashi-nii.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I want Shika, Suke, Neji and Hina.”

Kakashi had to hold in an amused snort at how the toddler mangled Uchiha Sasuke’s name, aware that it might set him off if he took it the wrong way.

“I see. Now I can’t help with that, but do you want to play with my ninken?”

Naruto immediately brightened, looking at the teen hopefully. It had been a while since he had a chance to play with the pack and he missed them too. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” Kakashi gave him an eye-smile, showing his sincerity and held back a snicker when the kid shot up with a cheer.

“Go now, Kashi-nii! Now!”

Chuckling, the Hatake let the boy drag him out the room but then directed them towards the stairs. “Hikari won’t be happy if you went out like this, so get your jacket first.”

Hikari watched the two go with a fond smile, happy to see that Kakashi had gotten a lot better since the first time she had seen him in this world. He smiled more easily and looked relaxed, but she doubted that he was that way around anyone else.

In any case, it was a huge improvement in her books.

Speaking of books, she looked back down at the huge book on her lap and sighed. Now that the Kumo incident was resolved, Hikari had decided to finally start studying iryo ninjutsu and was going through the basics.

_‘Sakura and Tsunade-baa-chan beat most of the information about the human body into my head so I just need a refresher on that,’_ Hikari mused, recalling with muted fondness times when the two women had taught her first aid and other little things. War meant that medics were overworked and everyone had to know how to treat injuries using medicine and other normal methods.

She turned a page of her book, reading about the chakra network and how it worked. It was slow going; she had no one to ask when she had questions.

**_“Why don’t you ask the Hyuuga or Uchiha? You’re pretty chummy with them now.”_ **

_“Finally woke up, stupid fox?”_ Hikari huffed in annoyance and entered her mindscape, giving the stink eye to the unbothered Bijuu.

**_“You’re boring, brat,”_** Kurama retorted with a sniff. He sat on his haunches as he looked down at the glowering redhead, rolling his eyes when she started screaming at him. **_“Stop the racket; it’s not going to help either you or me.”_**

The redhead gave the fox one last glare before throwing herself at him, burying herself into the thick orange fur. Kurama was far too used to his container doing such a thing and simply snorted, curling his tails around her.

_“I know that there’s no Hyuuga or Uchiha who isn’t on active duty to teach me,”_ Hikari mumbled, her words muffled a little by the fur. _“I don’t want to know about chakra techniques anyway.”_

**_“Then what do you want?”_ **

_“Things like illnesses, poisons and medicine. I’m more likely to encounter poison users like Sasori,”_ she frowned in thought, remembering the member of Akatsuki who fought using puppets and advanced poisons. _“I need to know how to face them and treat any affected people.”_

Kurama grunted; he was annoyed by the girl’s bleeding heart but could do little to stop her. **_“Then find others in the village. Didn’t your Nara say that his clan provided medicine for Konoha?”_**

Hikari blinked owlishly at the growled words, brain immediately whirring to recall that particular conversation with Shikamaru. The shadow user had mentioned something of the sort after she had asked why he had known so much about medicinal herbs.

_“Huh. I’m surprised you remember that, Kurama.”_

**_“I do pay attention, brat.”_ **

_“Only when you want to.”_

But it was a possibility she could explore!

…wait.

_“That means I need to talk to Shikaku-san,”_ she groaned and flopped back into Kurama’s side, whining at her luck. _“I haven’t seen him for a while but if I know him, that man has already keyed into my identity.”_

**_“So? You wanted him to find out by himself.”_ **

_“I know, but I’d rather he approached me first.”_

Kurama snorted and whacked the girl’s head, rolling his eyes when Hikari started screaming at him. **_“Stop yelling; that wouldn’t have hurt you. You should do whatever you want, kit. Pineapple Head Senior will eventually come to you when he’s certain of his theory.”_**

_“Argh…fine. It’s not like I have a choice anyway.”_

Mumbling curses under her breath, Hikari surfaced from her mindscape, blinking blearily at the book on her lap. Giving up studying as a lost cause for the time being, she closed it and set the book aside in favor of ruminating on the current situation.

_‘Kumo agreed to our terms,’_ she thought with a victorious grin; no matter how many times she revisited that topic, she kept grinning. The Sandaime had bypassed his Advisors for once and had gone straight to Shikaku, the two of them hammering out a new treaty that Kumo had no choice but to accept. They had been careful not to undermine the other village and attempted to level the playing field as much as possible without losing their current advantage.

The matter of the Caged Bird Seal had also ended on a quiet note, with none of the Hyuuga except the Elders kicking up a fuss. _‘I’m surprised that word hasn’t spread though. I would have thought something of that magnitude would attract a lot of attention.’_

Hikari had no idea that Fugaku and Hiashi were working together to keep her involvement a secret as long as possible. If she had known, she would have certainly crowed in glee at seeing Uchiha and Hyuuga cooperating.

A flicker of chakra broke her train of thought and the redhead turned her head towards the door. Someone had just crossed her barrier; it meant that they held no ill will, something that piqued her curiosity.

She rarely had visitors.

Hopping off her seat, Hikari made her way to the door and opened it just as her unexpected visitor raised their hand to knock.

“Can I help you, Nara-san?”

The man, easily identified as a Nara by the clan symbol on his shirt, gave her a lazy smirk. “A message for you,” he drawled, pulling out a scroll from his pocket and holding it out to her.

Hikari took it curiously, immediately undoing the ribbon and unrolling the scroll to skim its contents. Slender eyebrows rose as the words registered and she blinked. _‘Huh. Does this mean that he figured it out or wants to gather more info?’_

For the scroll in her hands was a formal invitation to a dinner at the Nara Compound for the two Uzumaki that evening, with the option to stay the night if they so wished.

**_“Looks like Pineapple Head Senior went through his promise from that day,”_** Kurama snorted in their mindscape, gaining an agreeing noise from his container.

_“Should I go, Kurama?”_

**_“Why not? You wanted this, didn’t you?”_ **

_“I suppose. Didn’t think it would be this early though.”_

Directing her attention to the Nara, Hikari absently rolled up the scroll and said, “Tell Shikaku-san that I accept his invitation, Nara-san.”

The man nodded, a speculative glint in his dark eyes as he took in the girl who had caught his Clan Head’s attention. From what he could see at first glance, there appeared to be nothing special other than the fact that she was an Uzumaki.

A talented one, if her dealing with the Kumo nin was to be considered.

He wasn’t all that curious though; it was Shikaku’s puzzle.

Snapping off a lazy salute, the Nara sauntered off, much to the palpable amusement of the redhead watching him go.

“Shikaku-san has made his move,” she muttered as she shut the door and headed to the kitchen. “Wonder what he’s found so far.”

* * *

Shikaku watched with growing amusement at the sight of his son impatiently watching the clock. Once his clansman had informed him of Hikari’s acceptance of his invitation, he had told Yoshino and Shikamaru the news.

His wife had taken it calmly, with a hint of joy at being able to meet her friends’ son. She had immediately started listing all the dishes that she should make before shoving her husband out with a grocery list.

On the other hand, Shikamaru had lit up like his birthday had come early, surprising both his parents. For some reason, he liked Naruto more than Chouji and Ino and his actions showed it. But true to form, the boy had dropped off for a long nap in the afternoon, though he was currently vibrating on the spot.

Sharp on the dot at seven P.M., the doorbell rang.

“Get the door, Shikaku,” Yoshino called from the kitchen, stirring something in a pot while simultaneously checking on the rice.

Shikaku made a noise of agreement and made his way to the door, opening it to see the smiling face of the redheaded Uzumaki, the other kid hiding behind her as usual.

“Good evening, Shikaku-san,” Hikari chirped cheerfully, a large box tucked under one arm. “Thanks for the invitation.”

The Nara inclined his head in acknowledgement, chuckling when the blond peeked at him with wide blue eyes. “Evening, Hikari, Naruto-kun.”

“Hello…”

“Naru!”

Shikamaru had apparently followed his father and was standing in the hallway, a pleased smile on his face at the sight of his friend.

“Shika!”

Hikari snagged the blond toddler’s collar when he made to run, making Naruto pout at her. “Shoes and jacket off, Naru-chan; you can tackle Shikamaru after that.”

“But, Nee-san!”

“Nope, you don’t want to be rude now, do you?”

“Fine…”

Naruto struggled to tug his shoes off, arranging them clumsily to the side before tossing his jacket at the amused redhead. Once that was done, he ran towards his friend with a giggle and tackled him into a hug, the two kids rolling on the ground.

“Shikamaru’s never been like that with anyone else,” Shikaku remarked casually as he took the two jackets from Hikari’s arms, hanging them up as she bent down to remove her shoes.

Hikari gave a huff of laughter and shook her head. “Naruto’s the same,” she admitted with a smile that had an edge of something he couldn’t read, her eyes revealing some amount of fondness and confusion. “He’s met Sasuke, Neji and Hinata but I think he considers Shikamaru to be his best friend.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I think it’s because Shikamaru is Naruto’s first friend.”

Shikaku’s eyes narrowed at the bemused tone in the redhead’s voice and he crossed his arms, asking, “And what do you think of that?”

The words came out sharper than the Nara had intended and Hikari blinked, raising her head to stare at him with wide, startled eyes. “What..?” she asked, utterly confused before the pieces clicked. “Wait, you think I disapprove?! It’s Naruto’s choice as to who he befriends; I like Shikamaru and I don’t mind their friendship.”

The Nara Clan Head relaxed at the indignant words and offered an apologetic smile to the bristling girl who looked ready to hit him. “Sorry, Hikari; I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Hikari eyed him for a moment before letting it go. “Apology accepted.”

Shikaku sighed inwardly; the female Uzumaki was just as fiery as the other redheaded Uzumaki he had known. He led the girl into the living room where Shikamaru and Naruto were, currently being greeted by his wife.

“Oh, how adorable!” Yoshino almost squealed, crouching to the toddlers’ level. Naruto stared back at her shyly, holding out a hand which the woman took. “I’m Yoshino; it’s nice to finally meet you, Naru-chan!”

“H-Hello…”

Naruto stumbled over his words as he introduced himself, still not used to adults but knowing that the woman meant no harm to him; she was Shikarmaru’s mom, after all.

Yoshino giggled at the hesitant but bright grin the blond boy gave her, all but clinging to her son. It was heartwarming to see that the child still retained his innocence and happiness. “Why don’t you boys have fun till dinner is ready? Just don’t leave the house.”

“Okay!”

Naruto beamed at the given permission and turned to his friend, Shikamaru grabbing the blond’s hand and dragging him further into the house. The other three in the living room watched them go with fond smiles, happy that the children were so very comfortable with each other.

Hikari stepped forward when Yoshino turned to face her, ignoring the slight stuttering of breath Yoshino experienced when she processed the sight of the redhead. “Thank you very much for the invitation, Yoshino-san,” she said with a smile, holding out the box she had brought. “A little present to show my gratitude.”

To her credit, the Nara woman recovered quickly and took the box, opening it to reveal a chocolate cake. “Oh my, this looks delicious, Uzumaki-san!” she exclaimed; the cake was a single layered one but fairly large, with vanilla and chocolate icing. There were even little deer shaped figurines made of chocolate stuck on the icing.

The redhead beamed at the compliment, “Thanks! The deer took some work but I’m glad it turned out well!”

Yoshino startled at that; she had thought that the cake had been bought from one of the stores in Konoha, not homemade. “You made this, Uzumaki-san?”

“Yeah. I normally don’t make desserts unless I’m experimenting but Naruto insisted that I make a cake, so…” Hikari trailed off, letting the two Nara fill in the blanks as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “And just call me Hikari, please.”

“If you say so, Hikari-chan,” Yoshino smiled, mentally overwriting her assumptions of the redhead. Shikaku had told her a little about the girl, about her striking resemblance to their deceased friend but she hadn’t expected Hikari to be a near miniature of Kushina.

Sure, there were enough differences to set her apart, like the color of her eyes for one, but at first glance Hikari looked very much like her old friend.

_‘I wonder if Kushina had had a daughter, would she look like that?’_ Yoshino thought with a pang of grief that she immediately brushed away; it was not the time to be thinking about past memories.

“Will you be staying the night, Hikari-chan?”

Hikari nodded in response to the question; when she had told Naruto about the invitation, the blond had demanded that he have a sleepover with Shikamaru. It was only fair; after all, he had spent over a week in the company of Sasuke, Neji and Hinata.

“I couldn’t refuse Naruto’s demands,” she shrugged, staring absently in the direction where Naruto had disappeared into with Shikamaru. “I don’t intend to spoil him, of course, but…I want him to be happy.”

Over the girl’s head, Yoshino and Shikaku held a silent conversation. For all that she had heard about what Hikari had done for the little Uzumaki, Yoshino had had her reservations. How could she not, when the son of her friends was entrusted to a virtual stranger?

But now she could safely say that it had been the right course of action. The protectiveness and affection in the girl’s voice cemented her trust and Yoshino gave a single nod to her husband, who returned the gesture with a small smirk.

“Well then, Hikari-chan, dinner should be ready soon,” Yoshino stated with a quiet smile, giggling when the redhead blinked owlishly at her. “Shikaku, show her to the guestroom.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the Nara Clan Head saluted, not wanting to go against his wife.

Shikaku watched as the redhead unsealed a set of nightclothes and other essentials from her bracelet, setting them on the bed.

He had been tossing around a theory in his head for a while, regarding the female Uzumaki.

Her sudden appearance and her physical looks.

Her fierce loyalty to Konoha, seemingly unfounded.

The Sandaime’s great trust in her.

Hatake Kakashi’s protectiveness that extended not only to Naruto, but to her as well.

Her devotion to Naruto.

The way she had played Kumo like a puppet.

The last thing was what he had in mind as he broke the silence and abruptly spoke, “The thing with Kumo.”

Hikari looked at him from the corner of her eye, expression giving nothing away. “What about it?”

“How much of it was staged?”

That earned a chuckle from the girl. She straightened, turning to face him with a smirk and a strange gleam in her blue eyes.

Eyes that were the exact same shape and color as Namikaze Minato.

“Everything and nothing.”

A thin eyebrow twitched at the non-answer and Shikaku resisted the urge to groan. It seemed that Hikari still caught it, leaning against the desk with a huff of amusement.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Really?” The smirk was still playing on her lips, her gaze sharp but confident. There was nothing in her posture that spoke of discomfort or fear, like always. “I think it answers it perfectly, Shikaku-san.”

“Perhaps in your eyes, but I don’t understand it.”

“Then you’re looking at it the wrong way.”

“Is there even a right way?”

Hikari chuckled and pushed away from the desk, slipping past the Nara. She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder at him. “You’re smart, Shikaku-san. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Shikaku groaned as the door shut behind her, scratching his head in frustration.

“Troublesome.”

* * *

Shikaku came to the dining room just as Hikari dragged both Naruto and Shikamaru in, the blond whining at having his fun interrupted. Much to his surprise, the redhead didn’t fold at the admittedly adorable pout. Instead she stood her ground and directed him to wash his hands, a stern look on her features that was betrayed by a tiny fond smile.

“She’s good at handling him, isn’t she?” Yoshino murmured as she came to stand by her husband, gaze resting on the girl wrangling the two boys into washing up before dinner. “Seeing as she is so young herself, I thought she would tend to spoil him or cave to that pout.”

The Nara Clan Head hummed in a non-committal way, taking the pot in his wife’s hands. “It’s possible that it wasn’t just her parents that she lost,” he replied in a low voice, just loud enough for Yoshino to hear. The soft but sharp inhale told him that she understood what was implied.

Yoshino took in a deep breath to center herself and turned back to head into the kitchen. “Help me get everything on the table,” she ordered. “Hop to it!”

Shikaku chuckled at the commanding tone and headed towards the dining table to set down the pot in his hands. He was pulling out plates and other crockery from the cupboards to avoid his wife’s wrath when the three kids trooped back in, the toddlers making a beeline for the chairs.

“Can I help with anything, Shikaku-san?”

The man slanted an amused gaze at the redhead and shook his head, nudging her towards the chairs. “You’re a guest, Hikari. Just sit down and relax.”

“Okay…”

Dinner was a pleasant and lively experience, the addition of the two Uzumaki turning the usually drowsy atmosphere of the Nara into a loud and cheerful one.

Naruto had opened up, chattering on and on about anything and everything. It was entertaining to watch him poke Shikamaru now and then to ensure that the boy didn’t fall asleep in his plate.

“Shika, eat!”

The blond glared at his friend, placing a piece of tempura on the little Nara’s plate. Shikamaru groaned and prodded the bit of food with his chopsticks, staring at it balefully. “…troublesome.”

A giggle caught his attention and Shikaku diverted his gaze from the two boys to the redhead, watching as Hikari covered a fond smile behind her bowl of soup. He frowned inwardly, _‘Why do her eyes look so sad even when she’s smiling?’_

Curious to what had brought forth the emotion, the Nara followed the girl’s gaze and frowned even harder when he realized she was looking at his son. _‘That’s strange, but if…’_

“How are you finding Konoha, Hikari-chan?”

Yoshino’s question jolted both Shikaku and Hikari out of their thoughts, the girl responding while Shikaku chose to continue studying her. “It’s a nice place,” Hikari replied, absently placing the carrot that Naruto snuck onto her plate back onto his, making the toddler whine. “Can’t say the same for the people living here though.”

“Ah,” Yoshino grimaced at the statement, checking if the two boys were distracted before replying. “I understand. But it looks like you’ve adjusted well.”

That made the female Uzumaki stare down at her food, lips twisting into a frown. “I suppose so…” She shook her head, her suddenly dark mood disappearing as she managed a smile. “I’ve found some friends, so it’s not as bad as it could be.”

“The Uchiha boys?”

“Shisui and Itachi,” Hikari confirmed, reaching for her cup of water. She took a small sip, blue eyes trained on Yoshino as she ignored the intent gaze from Shikaku. “Shisui’s currently on a mission but Itachi should be at home. Speaking of which, I should probably check on Itachi soon…”

“Itachi-nii?” Naruto perked up at the familiar name, turning wide eyes on his sister. “Suke?”

Hikari laughed at that, barely keeping herself from choking on a mouthful of water. “They’re not here, Naru-chan.”

“Why?”

“Because this is the Nara compound, not the Uchiha compound.”

Naruto pouted, not quite understanding what she meant but enough to know that she was saying he couldn’t see his friend. “I want Shika to meet Suke.”

“Maybe one day in the future,” Hikari agreed with a fond smile, eyes warm with visible affection as she nudged the boy back to his dinner. Looking up she noticed both Shikaku and Yoshino watching the scene with smirks and the redhead raised an inquisitive eyebrow at them, “What?”

“Nothing, nothing…”

“Naruto! Get back here and brush your teeth properly!”

“No!”

Naruto darted through the corridors to where he thought Shikamaru’s room was, not wanting to get caught by his exasperated sister.

He was finally getting his sleepover with Shika!

No way was he letting something like brushing his teeth cut his time with his best friend short.

Giggling as he ran across the wooden floor, Naruto skidded around a corner, realizing too late that there was someone in his path and crashing head first into them.

“Ow…”

He covered his head with both hands, whimpering a little. It didn’t hurt all that much, but the shock of it left him confused for a few seconds. A deep chuckle reached his ears and a hand grabbed the back of his collar, lifting him into the air easily.

“You should watch where you’re going, Naruto-kun,” Shikaku drawled, a grin breaking out on his face when the boy gave him a pout. “Let’s get you back to your sister, shall we?”

Shikaku hoisted the whining blond onto his shoulder, feeling small hands latching on his shirt for support. The short trek back to the bathroom was filled with protests and pleading for him to let Naruto go, all of which were met with a chuckle and a shake of the head.

Hikari was waiting for them, arms crossed over her chest as she tapped a foot against the floor. Raising an eyebrow when Naruto wilted at the sight of her, she pointed towards the bathroom. “Brush your teeth, Naruto. You can go to Shikamaru after that.”

“Okay, nee-san…”

The toddler disappeared into the bathroom as soon as the Nara set him on his feet, Hikari slumping with exhaustion when the door swung shut.

“Tired, Hikari?” Shikaku asked as the girl ran a hand over her face, eyes closed tight. She didn’t seem sick or tired but there might be something he had missed.

Hikari shook her head in response to the man’s question, one hand coming up to tug the blue ribbon holding her hair up in a high ponytail. It came loose almost instantly, crimson locks spilling over her shoulders and down her back. “Not really, no. But I would like a moment of peace,” she admitted softly, wrapping the ribbon around her wrist.

Shikaku hummed at that, able to see what she meant. Naruto was a bright ball of energy and while Hikari could keep up with him easily, a seven-year-old was not cut out to be raising a child alone.

“Yoshino wouldn’t mind babysitting him sometime,” he offered; his wife would likely jump at the opportunity and Shikamaru would be pleased too. Perhaps Inoichi and Chouza and their kids could eventually be thrown into the mix too.

That earned laughter from the girl, who looked at him with a smile. “I’d appreciate it,” she told him, a knowing glint in her eyes. “I’m not short on babysitters anyway; I can dump Naruto on the Uchiha or Hyuuga anytime, if I want to.”

Perking up imperceptibly at the mention of the Hyuuga, Shikaku noted the familiarity in the redhead’s voice. If Hikari trusted the Hyuuga clan enough to let them watch over Naruto, then something must have happened between them. He knew that Hiashi’s daughter and nephew had stayed at the Uchiha compound with the two Uzumaki but he doubted she trusted them because of that.

_‘Perhaps it has something to do with why Hiashi looked lighter during the final negotiations with Kumo,’_ Shikaku mused. He had the feeling that something had changed in the Hyuuga clan but had no idea what; they were quieter than normal, not enough to warrant suspicion but enough to raise his interest.

Naruto burst out of the bathroom at that second, making the Nara shelve his thoughts for later. Hikari chuckled at the toddler clinging to her legs, patting his head gently.

“Nee-san, can I sleep with Shika? Please, please, please?”

“I don’t know; you should ask Shikaku-san.”

Two pairs of blue eyes focused on the Nara, one set pleading and the other greatly amused. Shikaku snorted at the looks and scratched the back of his head. “Shikamaru probably won’t mind,” he agreed with an easy smile. “You could toss Naruto-kun into his bed; it’s large enough for them both.”

“Yay!”

Naruto cheered in delight, tackling the man’s legs and wrapping his arms around them, as far as they could go anyway. “Thanks a lot, Shika-oji-san!”

Unable to resist the urge to ruffle the kid’s hair, Shikaku did so and earned himself a bright grin. “Come on, let’s go bother my brat.”

* * *

Hikari sat on the engawa outside her room at the Nara compound, a blanket over her shoulders to ward off the chill. She had woken up earlier than she had expected; it was still dark outside with a few stars twinkling in the sky.

She had checked on Naruto before stepping out; the boy was sleeping peacefully, curled up tight next to Shikamaru. It seemed that their night had been peaceful, as it seemed that the blond hadn’t suffered any nightmares. It had been a long time since his last bad dream and Hikari was beginning to think that he was moving past his bad experiences, even if his wariness towards the villagers remained.

“Having trouble sleeping?”

Hikari peered out the corner of her eye at Shikaku who was leaning on the wooden pillar next to her; she had noticed his chakra moving towards her a long time ago and wasn’t surprised by his appearance.

“That’s not it. I’m just used to waking up early, though this is earlier than normal.”

“I see.”

Silence descended upon them after that, Hikari content to watch the slowly disappearing stars while Shikaku continued to study her.

“You know,” the Nara spoke after a few minutes, dark eyes fixed on her intently, “I keep looking at you and seeing two people. Do you know who?”

The girl gave no reply, only twisting her body so that she faced him fully. There was no visible emotion on her face, features blank and blue eyes meeting his unflinchingly.

“Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.”

Shikaku paused, watching for a reaction and was mildly disappointed when the Uzumaki didn’t startle or move in the slightest. She kept staring at him, gaze sharp but with nothing in her eyes to give away her thoughts.

“You have Minato’s eyes and most of Kushina’s looks,” the Nara continued; the pieces of the puzzle he had gotten when he had first laid eyes on the girl had finally fallen into place and now all he needed was confirmation. “But I know that they had only one child.”

Hikari smiled at that, tilting her head to the side. “Naruto.”

“So you _are_ aware of that. I presume you know what he is as well.”

A simple nod.

“Yet you don’t care. The Sandaime likes you, Hatake is overprotective towards you. Both of these facts combined with your appearance says that you are related to Minato and Kushina in some way.”

“Do get to the point, Shikaku-san.”

The Nara smirked, straightening from his position against the pillar and moving to sit next to the relaxed girl. “Since Naruto is an only child and assuming you aren’t the result of an experiment,” that earned him a deadpan stare, “you are not from around here.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?”

Hikari was certainly amused now, leaning back on her hands as she absently kicked her feet in the air. “You have the pieces of the puzzle but can you put them together correctly, Shikaku-san?”

“Troublesome,” Shikaku groaned, the girl’s easy acceptance of his words basically confirming his theory. “What happened in your world?”

The light mood immediately disappeared, as if a switch was flipped; Hikari’s expression didn’t change but her aura darkened considerably as she replied, “Complete annihilation.”

Stiffening at the implications, Shikaku twisted around to meet her eyes. “Are you going to change it?”

Hikari shrugged, forcibly drawing back her emotions and shoving them into the deepest corners of her mind. “I didn’t ask to come to this dimension, Shikaku-san,” she admitted wearily, running a hand through her loose braid and pulling out some of the strands in the process. “It was a complete accident.”

“You said ‘annihilation’…?”

“Everyone was dead. I was one of the few survivors.” The redhead rapidly summed up the fight against Kaguya in a few short sentences, not really wanting to dwell on the topic. It always served to put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

Shikaku ran a hand over his face, inwardly shivering at the images his mind conjured up. A war so devastating that it wiped out over ninety-five percent of the population. “How are you still sane?”

“Am I?” Hikari smiled sadly, resting her hand on her stomach, feeling Kurama pulse his chakra comfortingly. “I still don’t know if I’ll break completely or not…but I made a promise to keep moving forward. If that means I have to protect this world, then I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Even if it means being confronted with your past everywhere you turn?”

“You noticed…? Who am I kidding, of course you did.”

Snorting at the wry tone in the girl’s voice, the Nara explained, “There was an odd look in your eyes whenever you looked at my son. Familiarity, sorrow…I thought that maybe you knew a Nara but you didn’t have any reaction to me or my other clansmen.”

“Shika was one of my best friends,” Hikari hummed as she hopped off the engawa and twirled around in lazy circles, staring up at the brightening sky. “I knew him from the Academy but we became real friends only when I was about thirteen. Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji, Shino, Ino and Hinata were in the same class as me and Neji, Lee and Tenten were a year above. Ah, but some of those names won’t mean anything to you.”

Shikaku noted that all the clan heirs were in the list and deduced that the unfamiliar names were probably civilian kids. “Doesn’t it hurt when you see them?”

“Not really. The last memories I have of them are in a war-torn world, where they’re all grown up and hardened shinobi. They’re not the same, Shikaku-san, and I hope they won’t need to be.”

There was a hint of wistfulness and nostalgia in the words, the redhead fondly recalling all the good memories she had had with her friends. Hikari too had expected to feel hurt and pain upon facing her old friends but apart from the few terrible memories that haunted her dreams and a distant pang of sadness, she didn’t really feel much.

Was it terrible of her to feel so detached?

Hikari shook her head to clear her thoughts and spun to face the Nara Head. “Even so, the chibi versions aren’t my friends. At the most I’ll be something of an older sister or such to them, but we’ll never have the same relationships. Hell, even Naruto won’t, what with having met them so early.”

“But you’re not bothered.”

“Nope. I think it’s a good thing.”

Shikaku exhaled, running a hand over his face. He wasn’t Inoichi to assess the girl’s mental state accurately but he could say that she felt relatively stable. _‘And as a shinobi, that’s the best one could expect,’_ he thought wryly.

“You had a hand in the Uchiha situation.”

Not even batting an eye at the sudden change in topic, Hikari nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“What are you willing to tell?” Shikaku shot back, raising a thin eyebrow at the placid smile the Uzumaki gave him.

“Ask the right questions and I will answer.”

“Troublesome…” Shikaku complained, glaring at the now giggling girl. He was well aware that the two of them had vastly different thought processes and varying perspectives. “Fine; why did you feel the need to interfere?”

“Because the Uchiha would have planned a coup and then be massacred by one of their own.”

The prompt and clear-cut reply caused both of Shikaku’s eyebrows to almost rise to his hairline and he stated in a flat voice, “Massacred. An entire clan, just like that.”

Hikari nodded seriously, snapping her fingers. “Just like that.”

“Right…”

Shikaku processed that and pieced together the entire picture. If he recalled correctly, the Advisors had been pushing for the Uchiha to be moved to the outskirts of Konoha. Had they succeeded, the Uchiha would have been ostracized. For such a prideful people, it would have been utterly humiliating.

A coup did sound highly plausible.

“Is that why you’re hanging around the Uchiha kids?” Shikaku glanced at the redhead in front of him, not sure if she really was quite so manipulative. Itachi was the Clan Heir, reckoned as a prodigy and Shisui had earned his own formidable reputation. “To have a way to reach the Uchiha?”

Hikari hesitated; she wasn’t so sure about how to reply. Sure, the Sandaime and Kakashi knew that it was Itachi who had killed his clan in her world and Shikaku would understand, but...

She settled for the truth, “Not exactly. Shisui was the first victim of Danzo during the Uchiha tragedy because he wanted to use his eyes to make the Uchiha Elders agree to negotiation but the old bastard didn’t want him to do so.” Not elaborating further, she continued, “After his death, Danzo made Itachi kill his clan, allowing only his little brother to stay alive.”

Shikaku filled in the gaps in the Uzumaki’s explanation, understanding that the two boys had been trying for a peaceful resolution but the war hawk had prevented that. How much of the Uchiha’s bad situation had been the Shimura’s doing anyway?

“I know that expression, Shikaku-san,” Hikari interrupted his train of thought, fixing a gimlet eye on him. “Don’t go digging into Danzo’s actions openly; ROOT is active and I don’t want any ‘accidents’.”

Raising his hands in surrender, the Nara carefully noted the little tidbits of information. His suspicions were proven right; Danzo _did_ use ROOT as his private army, probably running missions unsanctioned by the Hokage, and he had to wonder how many children had been smuggled away into the dark organization. He should subtly warn the other clans to keeper a closer watch on their kids.

It was an open secret that Danzo desired the different bloodlines, case in point being the Mokuton-wielding boy currently in ANBU.

“Back to my point, you’re protecting Shisui-kun and Itachi-kun?”

Hikari nodded, absently stretching her senses and smiling when she felt Itachi’s chakra moving about in his house. Shisui was still out on his mission, though. “In a way. They’re nice and I consider them friends. Anyway, want to know about the Hyuuga?”

“You said ‘Everything and nothing’”, Shikaku mused, smirking at the girl when she raised an eyebrow at him in challenge. “The kidnapping was supposed to happen but _you_ weren’t originally a part of it. You simply took a chance when they grabbed you as well and turned it around in our favor.”

“See?” Hikari beamed at the man, “I told you you’d get it!”

Shikaku gave a huff of laughter and continued, “You know you’re going to get a lot of unsavory attention for your stunt, right?”

The redhead grimaced and nodded in agreement. “I already know Danzo has his sights on me. The Kumo nin mentioned that they thought I live alone. But a spy would have known the truth.”

“That means the information was leaked.” Shikaku sat up sharply, all traces of humor gone from his expression. “Do we have a traitor?”

“You’ve always had one,” Hikari replied, equally serious. “Danzo might be acting on what he believes is the best for Konoha but he has ulterior motives. I didn’t note it back then but I think I sensed ROOT in the forest too. He might have been planning to take Hinata and myself, killing the Kumo nin and claiming that we were passed onto a secondary Kumo team.”

“It would have certainly resulted in war again,” the Nara frowned. “Both sides would have never backed down.”

“This is just an idea, Shikaku-san. I don’t know for sure.”

“Knowing how Danzo works, it’s a possibility. Best you keep your head down for a while then.”

“Ah…” Hikari rubbed her sheepishly, looking a little embarrassed. “That might not be possible, I think?”

Shikaku’s expression turned exasperated as he asked, “Troublesome brat. What did you do?”

“ImighthaveremovedtheHyuuga’scursedseal?!”

* * *

In a hidden underground training room, Shimura Danzo stood on a balcony. He watched his Root shinobi sparring against each other in the vast room, keen eye marking each one’s growth and drawbacks.

There was nothing new, nothing he hadn’t seen in the previous training session and the man turned around, heading to his office.

Once he was seated at his desk, Danzo picked up the top folder from the stack in front of him. The picture of a girl with the meagre information on her was printed on it, making him grind his teeth.

Uzumaki Hikari.

The girl who had arrived in Konoha barely four months ago.

The girl who kept slipping from his hands _no matter how hard he tried_.

First Hiruzen stated his explicit protection then she escaped Kumo on her own merit.

Danzo had not expected Kumo to steal the Hyuuga heiress but knowing their penchant for gathering bloodlines, the Uzumaki would have been perfect for them, considering their failure in taking Uzumaki Kushina many years ago.

His men had been lying in wait, to take the girls -the Hyuuga had been a bonus- but Uzumaki had thwarted the Kumo nin long before they even reached the point where ROOT had been waiting. The only good thing was that no one suspected him of having leaked information, albeit incomplete.

Kumo’s reputation had shielded him, just as Danzo had planned in case of failure.

“Who are you, Uzumaki Hikari?” Danzo muttered to himself as he scanned the contents of the folder. There was very little information on her background, only the bare minimum that corroborated the official records. It also proved that she had remained in hiding since birth.

But Danzo doubted that was all there was to it, considering her skill in combat. The redhead’s Fuuinjutsu abilities could be explained away by her parents teaching her but for her to fight against three experienced shinobi and come out successful meant that she must possess some combat experience.

Regardless of her past, he wanted her. There were rumors that some of the chakra of some Uzumaki could heal almost anything; the chakra chains that Kushina had wielded so effortlessly were also another powerful ability that he wanted.

If Hikari did possess both of those abilities, then Danzo would have a literal powerhouse under his command.

Crushing his still seething anger, Danzo tossed the folder onto his desk and leant back in his chair. “Uzumaki is creating connections with some of the major clans,” he muttered to himself. “Uchiha, Hyuuga and Nara. I must find a way to draw her away before she becomes more integrated into the village.”

He had time though.

Breaking a child was easier than an adult; no matter how hardened she was by her life in hiding, she would definitely have weak points.

If Danzo couldn’t take her, then he would just have to make her come to him of her own volition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose that I gave a quiet ending to the fiasco with Kumo but there wasn't any point in drawing it out and giving them more attention. This felt more suitable, I think.
> 
> So Shikaku has finally clued in and now Hikari can move forth with the rest of her plans.
> 
> Oh dear, I wonder what Danzo is planning now?
> 
> I have the feeling that I'm progressing very slowly but I like it that way; I can take the time to build up this world. No guarantees of covering all plot holes though, the Naruto universe is way too large for that. Time skips will eventually happen but they won't be huge jumps, as far as I've planned out for now.
> 
> See you all on the next chapter!
> 
> Posted: 26/07/2020


	13. First move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danzo makes a move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, another very, very late chapter.... orz
> 
> This chapter jumps pretty much all over the place but I hope it makes sense.
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

“Tenzo-san, do you mind watching over Naruto while I go to the store?”

The brunet blinked and turned to face Hikari who had popped her head out of the window next to him. He had been watching over the Uzumaki while Kakashi was out on a mission; for some reason, ROOT operatives were watching the house and while Tenzo knew that Danzo wouldn’t dare make a move on the Jinchuuriki, the redhead was another story.

“Tenzo-san?”

“A-Ah, are you sure…?”

Hikari stifled a giggle at his perplexed expression and nodded, resting her chin on the palm of her right hand. “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure,” she pointed out with a wide grin. “Besides, Naruto likes you, the big brother who makes him wood toys whenever he asks.”

The gentle teasing made the boy blush and the Uzumaki inwardly laughed, albeit with a little sadness; it was surprisingly easy to fluster the Mokuton user but disheartening to see that he believed very few people valued him. It was why she kept inviting him to stay over whenever possible and practically forced food and a delighted Naruto upon him.

“So? You okay with watching Naruto?”

Tenzo nodded hesitantly, allowing a small smile to cross his face when the redhead beamed at him and ducked back inside. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning on, casting one last cursory glance towards the forest before heading to the door. The ROOT operative was still there, perched on a tree some distance from the barrier surrounding the house.

The man Danzo had sent was skilled, Tenzo had to admit. If it weren’t for his Mokuton, he would not have noticed him at all. But as it stood, he _had_ sensed him and promptly informed Kakashi. His senpai had looked thoughtful for all but a minute then angled his gaze towards the female Uzumaki, letting Tenzo know that the subject of ROOT’s observation was most likely her.

 _“Watch over the kids,”_ Kakashi had said with a grim undertone, voice barely higher than a whisper. _“We have no idea what **he**_ _wants.”_

But it had been a month since the first watcher had shown up and while two more had been added to the count, none of them approached the house.

Not even moving an inch past the virtual perimeter they had set up.

 _‘I wonder if Hikari has noticed them, given her sensing ability,’_ Tenzo wondered as he slipped into the house, eyeing the redhead who was swiftly pulling her hair back into a loose braid. _‘She hasn’t given any indication of it but some of her actions are suspicious.’_

It was the truth; Hikari no longer stayed full time in the house. She was more willing to acquiesce to Naruto’s demands, allowing him to drag her to the Nara, Uchiha or Hyuuga compounds often. From what Kakashi had confided in him, Tenzo was aware that she knew the Kage Bunshin and had been using the jutsu to keep an eye on the kid when she had to leave but lately she preferred another human, meaning Kakashi or himself.

“Ten-nii!”

The brunet was startled out of his thoughts as a yellow blur tackled him, short arms wrapping around his legs. Naruto looked up at him with a wide grin, blue eyes sparkling with happiness.

“Hello, Naruto,” Tenzo murmured a quiet but warm greeting, one hand moving to ruffle the boy’s sunshine locks. Feeling eyes on him, the teen raised his head to find a mischievously grinning redhead staring at him. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing!”

Hikari stifled a giggle at the deadpan expression from the Mokuton user, darting around him to pull on her shoes. Pressing a kiss to one cheek when Naruto ran up for a hug, she told him, “Don’t make too much trouble for Tenzo-san, okay?”

With that, she opened the door but was stopped from stepping out by a hand landing on her shoulder. Hikari looked back, blue eyes meeting dark ones tinged with worry. “Be careful,” Tenzo murmured, shifting uneasily before letting his arm drop and taking a step back.

 _‘What was that about?’_ Hikari wondered, bemused. She blinked and nodded, allowing a smile to curve her lips. “Sure. I’m off now!”

* * *

Hikari hummed to herself as she sealed her groceries into her bracelet’s storage seals, not allowing even a fraction of the tension she felt to show on her face.

_‘The number of my stalkers has gone up again.’_

ROOT shinobi had been following her around since the end of January, no matter where she went or what she did, regardless of how inconsequential her actions were. It was a sign that Danzo was interested in her enough to gauge her skills and probably find a way to nab her when an opportunity presented itself.

 _‘Not that it would ever happen,’_ the redhead snorted inwardly, darting through the streets of Konoha’s marketplace. She ducked and weaved effortlessly amongst the throng of villagers going about their shopping, keeping her senses wide open to track the three ROOT members following her.

Hikari knew that there were others watching the house at all times too; at least two operatives were hidden in the trees at any given time of the day. The constant staring had creeped out the poor redhead enough to schedule sleepovers at the Uchiha, Hyuuga and Nara compounds. The two dojutsu clans would know the instant ROOT tried to approach and only a fool would attempt to sneak into the Nara compound.

There had been only one at the start, the man’s presence raising her hackles when she had felt him approach her house. But he never once came close, staying in the trees a few feet away from the boundary of the barrier. His emotionless gaze had made her skin crawl and Hikari had promptly grabbed Naruto, taking off to seek refuge at the Uchiha compound.

She had ensured that the man did not suspect her of being aware of him by timing her departure to make it look completely random.

No need to let Danzo know how far her sensory range extended.

The second stalker had arrived a week after the first, watching her from the other side. The two ROOT operatives had stayed separate and had taken to observing her from different vantage points.

Stretching out her senses, Hikari checked in on Naruto back at the house; the sparks of delight in the boy’s chakra made her smile as she rounded a corner. _‘It was a good idea to rope in Ya- I mean Tenzo-san,’_ she thought to herself. The Mokuton user normally tagged along with Kakashi when he didn’t have a mission but had kept his distance, not sure if his presence would be welcomed.

But in true Naruto fashion, the little blond had caught sight of the brunet and dragged him in once he had decided he liked him, shooting puppy dog eyes at his sister to let him keep the older boy. Tenzo’s expression had been hilarious and a little sad when Hikari had agreed with a cheerful grin, utterly gobsmacked by the fact that someone would like him.

_‘I never realized that Yamato-taichou had had such insecurities. He always seemed so confident.’_

Hikari assumed it was probably due to his upbringing in ROOT, suppressing emotions and feelings to carry out his duty when he knew that he couldn’t discard his heart that easily. It was another point of difference for her to note; Tenzo might become the man she knew in her world one day but right now he was still an insecure teenager.

Pulling in Tenzo had an added benefit in that he would never allow any ROOT operative to even touch Naruto, no matter what. He might not know the truth behind Hikari’s past and perhaps he won’t ever, but Hikari was certain he would protect Naruto.

 _‘Pretty sure his warning before I left means that Tenzo-san knows of the ROOT idiots lurking around. And that means Kashi-nii and Jiji know too,’_ Hikari inwardly groaned, dreading the day when the latter two decided that enough was enough and either confronted Danzo or started insisting that she move elsewhere.

**_“Wouldn’t that help you?”_ **

_“Maybe, but only for a while. You know what kind of a creepy bastard Danzo is, Kurama.”_

Kurama snorted, shaking his head at his Jinchuuriki. **_“I don’t,”_** he stated blandly. **_“Apart from his obsession with the Sharingan, I didn’t pay attention to anything else.”_**

It was Hikari’s turn to snort, keeping half her attention on the fox and the other half attention on a half-hearted attempt to lose her ROOT stalkers. _“Yeah, that one was creepy as heck; didn’t Sasuke say that he embedded some in his arm?”_

**_“And the hidden eye was that accursed dojutsu too.”_ **

_“Doesn’t he already have that?”_ Hikari frowned, not quite sure of the timeline. She wasn’t involved much in that fiasco; all of her information was second-hand, from Sasuke, Itachi and Kakashi. _“I think he replaced it with Shisui’s eye later.”_

The fox grunted, already disinterested in the topic. **_“Keep an eye on your Uchiha, brat; you’ve changed enough for the fool to move faster than in your world.”_**

It was something that had occurred to the redhead as well. From what she had observed, there was only a small possibility of the Uchiha planning a coup. Fugaku was content with the current status quo, even if the Elders nagged and complained about wanting more power and authority. The general consensus among the Uchiha coincided with their Clan Head, thankfully.

 _‘Even if the Uchiha Elders try to stage a coup, I’m pretty sure that they can be beaten down easily,’_ Hikari thought. She knew very well that only a few of the more arrogant Uchiha would follow the Elders and even they would listen to Fugaku’s orders, albeit grudgingly.

Danzo had very little to justify massacring the Uchiha, all of his plans slowly being chipped away. The clan wasn’t isolated, thereby not causing discontent amongst them and they also had a tentative alliance with the Hyuuga, something that came as a shock to most of the village. The Uchiha had connections this time, although Hikari, oblivious to things as she was, had yet to catch on that their alliance was formed in their effort to shield her.

It hadn’t escaped Kurama’s notice though, and he wondered when his dense Jinchuuriki would finally realize it.

A flash of crimson in his peripheral made Itachi pause and turn in that direction. He had just finished reporting the C-Rank he had gone on with his Genin instructor and was on his way back to the Uchiha compound. If that was really his friend he had glimpsed, a detour wouldn’t be too bad.

It was indeed Hikari, weaving through the crowd with a frown on her face. She seemed distracted, proven by the fact that she hadn’t sensed his approach yet. The redhead only spun to face him when Itachi was a mere five feet from her, her frown giving way to a wide smile.

“Itachi!”

The boy allowed a small smile to appear on his face at the cheerful greeting, sliding his arms around the redhead in a loose hug when she glomped him. “Hello, Hikari,” the Uchiha returned, voice soft and even. “What are you doing?”

Hikari drew back, taking the boy’s hand and pulling him along. “Just doing a little grocery shopping,” she replied, taking comfort in the familiar calm chakra next to her and attempting to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of the three ROOT shinobi still stalking her. “What about you? Do you have a mission?”

“No,” Itachi shook his head and tightened his grip on the girl’s hand when he noticed her tense posture. “I finished giving my report so I have nothing to do for the rest of the day.”

“Great!” the Uzumaki beamed, blue eyes lighting up. Perhaps Itachi would accompany her while she was out in the village. It certainly was easier to keep her calm when she had a good distraction from ROOT. “Mind hanging out with me?”

Itachi voiced his agreement, hiding a smile behind the high collar of his shirt when the redhead cheered loudly. The noise made some of the civilians turn around to look at the source, most of them chuckling fondly when they just saw two kids having fun.

“Let’s get something to munch on while we walk!”

The Uchiha allowed himself to be dragged, Hikari setting sights on one of the food stalls in the distance and marching towards her goal. Food did sound nice; his mission, while easy and not as stressful as one might expect, still had him up early and it had been a long time since he had eaten breakfast.

As they passed an alley, Itachi slid a cursory glance over the shadows. He did not linger at any particular point, averting his gaze smoothly and focusing on his rambling friend.

Who were the shinobi following Hikari and were they why she was uncomfortable?

* * *

“For a seal causing a low impact explosion, wouldn’t a simple stabilizer suffice?”

“It would,” Hikari agreed, glancing at the paper seal in Itachi’s hands. “But that’s only if you’re personalizing it. A random person can’t use it because the amount of chakra poured in is unpredictable.”

Itachi and Hikari were sitting in the shade of a large tree, sharing a large box of gyoza between them. The two children had wandered into an empty training ground after they had bought their food and unanimously decided to relax in the quiet atmosphere. A discussion on seals had started up when Itachi pulled out what he had made in his free time.

“Unpredictable?” Itachi tilted his head in confusion; he had mastered basic sealing theory and was working his way through the scrolls Hikari had provided for the intermediate level. The Uzumaki had declared him and Shisui proficient enough to start customizing seals for themselves, on the condition that they kept to the basic ones.

The seal they were currently discussing was one of Itachi’s, an explosion seal modified to be low powered and meant as a distraction.

Hikari nodded, popping a gyoza into her mouth and chewing on it as she thought of how to explain her previous words. In her opinion, Itachi had progressed with Fuuinjutsu faster than she had expected and Shisui was most likely in the same boat. Even so, neither really had enough experience to completely understand the intricacies of practical Fuuinjutsu.

“See, an explosion seal basically amplifies the chakra you insert into it and directs it into a blast when you trigger it.” When Itachi indicated his understanding, Hikari continued, “The point of a stabilizer is to keep the chakra contained no matter how much of it you pour into the seal.”

Dark eyes widened slightly in understanding and the Uchiha murmured softly, “So if the stabilizer fails, the seal might explode even without being triggered.” Itachi got the point Hikari was trying to make: if he was going to use the seal himself, the strength of the stabilizer didn’t matter. He would know how much chakra it could contain and his chakra control was good enough to catch any misfires.

But that would _not_ be the case for a random person.

Hikari grinned at him, aware that he had figured it out for himself. “Your seal is fine if you’re the only one to use it. Or Shisui and myself, I suppose,” she shrugged. The two of them would recognize the weaker stabilizer and adapt accordingly. “If you plan to give it to your clansmen, it’s best to have a stronger stabilizer.”

Itachi hummed in agreement, putting away his seal and returning to his food. He originally hadn’t been planning to give anyone his seals except Shisui, since most of the Uchiha were on the Police Force instead of the Shinobi forces. Explosion seals were pretty useless to them.

The two polished off the box of gyoza in a comfortable silence, Hikari sprawling on her back with a happy sigh when she was done. Itachi quirked a small smile at her peaceful expression and got up, intending to dispose of the empty box and get something to drink for the two of them.

He had finished his self-assigned errand and was crossing the training ground to get to his friend when a voice sounded from behind him.

“Oi, Uchiha!”

Itachi withheld a sigh and turned around, face impassive.

There were three boys a few feet from him and he recognized them as his old classmates. There was no love lost between him and them, so apart from a short nod, Itachi gave no other sign of acknowledging them.

Predictably, the trio bristled and puffed up. Their glares turned up a notch, as if they were promising him death. Itachi honestly held no grudge towards them; he understood that they hated him on principle, just because he was an Uchiha and more skilled than them.

“Think you’re so high and mighty just because you graduated at the same time as us?” One of them sneered, taking a step forward in what he assumed was a threatening manner. “You’re just a little brat playing at being a shinobi!”

Another boy added, “Go back and play with your toys! Leave the big stuff to us!”

The hateful insults continued, each one becoming more and more cruel when the trio realized that Itachi wasn’t reacting in any way to their words.

“You’re a curse!” The first boy spat, an unsightly mix of hatred and jealousy swimming in his brown eyes. “No wonder your team split apart!”

Itachi still did not react, not allowing any of their taunts to bother him. And why should they? He knew his abilities, knew his limits and how to surpass them. Responding to their words held no meaning when it was merely an outlet for their envy and Itachi had no desire to encourage them.

Deciding that he had heard enough, Itachi spun on his heel, intent on leaving the older boys behind. The three did not take his quiet but abrupt dismissal well.

“Why you little….!”

The immediate turn to violence neither alarmed nor bothered Itachi: he simply shifted his body to dodge the kunai thrown at him before it even crossed half the distance between the boys. The Uchiha twisted a little, intending to grab the kunai.

But it was unnecessary.

Crimson streaked across his vision and Itachi blinked as Hikari slid past him, a pale hand snatching the kunai out of the air deftly. Her mouth was open in a snarl, fury darkening her blue eyes to almost purple. She came to a halt between Itachi and the three older boys, chakra flaring dangerously as her features set in a glare.

“What do you idiots think you’re doing?”

Hikari had sensed the trio the moment they had spotted Itachi and she had sat up in concern when she had felt their chakra twist in envy and hate. She knew that her friend could take care of himself but she still had decided to keep an eye on the situation.

What she had heard left her trembling in rage; while Hikari had not been the smartest in her class -mostly due to her poor upbringing- and being grumpy and loud when Sasuke was praised, she had actually acknowledged his abilities. Her anger and bluster had been a front for her own insecurities; and no matter what, she had never allowed it fester into something so dark.

But the three Genin in front of her had let their jealousy control them, hurling abuse at the younger boy.

They had no right!

They didn’t know Itachi, how dare they say such things about him!

“None of your business!”

One of the boys regained his wits, seemingly the leader of the little group. He took a step forward, expression menacing as his hand reached for another kunai.

He never managed it.

A lock of sandy hair floated gently to the ground, the strands scattering in the breeze. The boy froze in shock, at both the severed lock of hair and the thin trail of blood dripping from the cut on his cheek. Behind him, one of his friends let out a whimper and collapsed on the ground, his legs unable to hold him up as he processed how narrowly he had avoided being skewered.

“Next time, I’ll be taking your heads off.”

Hikari slowly lowered her hand, having thrown the kunai the instant her patience snapped. _‘Too bad I couldn’t get all three of them at this angle,’_ she thought viciously, expression cold and hard, having lost the furious snarl.

“Y-Y-You…”

“Scram,” she spat, not in the mood to handle the now sniveling brats. “If I ever hear you say such things about Itachi again, I will pound you idiots into the dust.” Her lips twisted into a soft smile, in contrast with her icy gaze. “Maybe I’ll show you a preview now.”

Shrieks erupted from the trio when the Uzumaki took a single purposeful step, scrambling over each other in their attempt to get away. The girl might be younger and smaller than any of them but the killing intent she exuded was stronger than anything they had ever felt.

Itachi watched his former classmates run away from them with a blank face, turning to his friend when they were out of sight. The redhead crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, “Good riddance.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“No,” Hikari agreed, meeting the Uchiha’s eyes. None of the ice that had been visible when she was dealing with the other boys was present; only warmth and affection remained. “But I wanted to.”

She uncrossed her arms, poking Itachi’s cheek playfully. “I know you can take care of yourself, but it’s nice to have someone stand up for you once in a while, isn’t it?”

_‘Oh.’_

Itachi stared at his friend, who was grinning at him.

_‘Is this what Shisui felt?’_

His best friend had gone and gone on, almost waxing poetic about how Hikari’s chakra had enveloped him way back then. Itachi hadn’t really understood but accepted it as truth after meeting the girl himself. He wasn’t a sensor but he could feel the chakra emanating from the redhead when in close proximity.

Right now, Hikari’s chakra was wrapped around him, twisting and curling with his own. It felt like a warm hug, comforting and generally pleasing. No wonder Shisui was so enamored at first sight.

Finally recalling what the Uzumaki had told him before he fell into his short trance, Itachi nodded. To him, it was an odd experience….but not unpleasant.

The exact opposite, in fact.

Sure, the instructors at the Academy held back any jealous classmates but that was because he was an Uchiha.

Not for _him_.

Hikari sighed internally; she had noticed the multiple emotions flashing in her friend’s dark eyes. _‘How did I ever think Itachi was a stone statue?’_ she mentally facepalmed. _‘His eyes are so expressive!’_

Uncomfortable chakra prickled her senses and Hikari held back a shudder. _“Hey, Kurama; I didn’t give away too much to ROOT, did I?”_

 ** _“Hardly anything,”_** the Bijuu replied, voice drowsy and annoyed. **_“You showed more of your skills during the Kumo mess, brat.”_**

_“Not that. Think Danzo will try to get me through Itachi?”_

Kurama pondered on that a little then shook his head. **_“Doubtful. Right now the Uchiha aren’t ostracized and going after the Clan Heir is risky, even for that slippery bastard.”_**

 _“I suppose,”_ Hikari agreed reluctantly, grabbing Itachi’s hand with both of hers, much to the boy’s confusion though he didn’t say anything. _“But I don’t want to take any chances.”_

**_“Tag him with your Hiraishin seal then. The other brat too.”_ **

That comment earned the fox a raised eyebrow and Hikari’s lips curved with a mischievous grin. _“Kurama~?”_ she sang sweetly, eyeing the now wary Bijuu with glee. _“You like them!”_

**_“No, I don’t!”_ **

_“You **like** them!”_ the Jinchuuriki crowed, dodging Kurama’s swinging tails as he tried to swat her in his annoyance. Laughter spilled from her mouth and she dropped onto the fox’s head, patting him with a wide grin. _“You big softie! What happened to ‘all Uchiha are scum and I want to eat them’”?_

Kurama grunted, irritated but relenting to his stubborn host. **_“They grew on me,”_ **he admitted. **_“I don’t like all of them, but your two brats are acceptable. Still want to shred Madara though, don’t mistake me about that.”_**

Hikari gave a non-committal hum, carding her hands through the fox’s orange fur. _“I can’t give them my Hiraishin seal yet,”_ she told him, frowning a little as she set them back on their original topic. _“It would be too suspicious at this time.”_

**_“Then just tell them the truth.”_ **

_“Too risky. I trust Shisui and Itachi, more than probably anyone else in this world except Kashi-nii. But I don’t want to expose them to the danger that would come with knowing.”_

**_“But one day you_ ** **will _slip. Do you want them to look at you with mistrust, kit?”_**

Hikari whacked the Bijuu’s head, glaring at him when Kurama shook her off in annoyance. _“I didn’t finish. I’m waiting for Itachi to become stronger before I say anything. Shisui is powerful enough but I don’t want to force him to keep a secret from Itachi. That would be crueler than hiding the truth from both of them.”_

**_“Hmph. Do as you like.”_ **

Rolling her eyes at the huffy dismissal, Hikari tuned back into the real world. A familiar chakra pinged at the very edge of her senses and she blinked rapidly, before a grin stretched her lips.

“Hikari?” Itachi asked questioningly when the redhead suddenly perked up and brightened before proceeding to drag him out of the training ground.

“Come on! Let’s hurry!”

* * *

Shisui stifled a sigh as he leapt through the trees, ducking under a low hanging branch. His mission was technically over; all he and his team had to do was to return to Konoha and submit their report. It had been a pretty long mission too: he had been dispatched the instant he was relieved as guard to Hikari and had yet to step back into Konoha.

 _‘I guess I’m only antsy because things didn’t settle completely in the village before I got this mission,’_ he thought to himself. It was only a B-Rank; the team had to travel to all of the guard stations at the borders of Hi no Kuni, picking up their reports and checking on their status. The time they had spent at the station closest to Kaminari no Kuni had been the most stressful, thanks to their now tenuous relationship with Kumo.

But thankfully, things had been relatively peaceful and they hadn’t experienced any delays. So far, they were right on schedule and due to arrive in Konoha within two hours.

Even lost in thought as he was, Shisui did not miss a strange shimmer in the air and instantly activated his Sharingan. Red bled into black, the three tomoe swirling rapidly as he channeled chakra to his eyes. What he saw made his eyes widen.

“Everyone, get down!”

It spoke of his team’s trust in him that they dropped to the ground immediately and not a moment too soon. Slicing sounds were heard before broken branches fell to the ground, followed by multiple fluttering leaves. The Konoha shinobi looked up to see the multitude of crisscrossing wires, weaved in a pattern meant to hide them amongst the dense foliage.

“Itachi’s way better than this,” Shisui scoffed to himself as he pulled out a kunai and took up his position in the circle the other four shinobi had formed, facing outwards. “It was a wire trap,” he reported to the team in a low voice, Sharingan spinning slowly as he took in his surroundings. “Cleverly hidden but not good enough to kill.”

“But enough to maim?”

Shiranui Genma hooked the ring of his kunai on a finger and twirled it around lazily, posture seemingly open to an amateur eye but inherently dangerous. His eyes narrowed when he spotted leaves shifting in the distance; there was no wind and it was too silent to be an animal. “Bandits? How many are there?”

“Twenty-five,” Shisui replied promptly. “And yes, they’re most likely to be bandits. Their chakra levels are just about larger than a Genin but nowhere near a Chuunin’s.”

“So a lot with some brains?” another Jounin, Michiro, remarked. The entire team relaxed, not finding a threat dangerous enough to make them worry. “I guess that’s par for the course. No mission is complete without a bandit attack.”

The dry comment made the team laugh, unknowingly making the bandits circling them wary. The scout of the group had spotted Shisui and thinking it was a weak Konoha team just because one of them was a kid, had told the rest that they were easy pickings.

Too bad for them that it was a team comprised entirely of Jounin and Tokubetsu Jounin.

“Each of us takes five?” Ayaka, the only woman of the team, asked, a wide grin on her face. The entire mission had been fairly quiet and the opportunity to let loose a little was welcomed.

“Sure, why not,” Genma agreed. He might be a Tokubetsu Jounin in rank but he was the most experienced member of the team and designated as team leader. He waved a hand in a careless motion, “Go, shoo. Have fun.”

No one needed anything more than that, shooting off in different directions. Shisui lunged forward, kunai coming up in an arc at the surprised bandit right in his path, slicing the man’s throat before he could even think to dodge.

“You little brat!”

One of the men ran towards the Uchiha, sword raised to slash the boy’s unprotected back. Shisui, however, did notice the attack and jumped, twisting in midair to land on the flat of the blade. As a result, the sword stabbed into the earth, leaving the bandit weaponless and defenseless for an instant which he took advantage of by driving a kunai into the man’s heart.

Flipping to avoid a barrage of shuriken, Shisui snatched a few and threw them at a bandit who was trying to sneak up on Michiro. The Jounin capitalized on the bandit’s inattention and punched him in the gut, shooting a grin the Uchiha’s way before rolling out of the way of an incoming blade.

“Thanks, Uchiha, but keep an eye on your own fight!”

The eleven-year-old rolled his eyes and yelled back, “I would, if you weren’t so reckless!”

“Aww, but where’s the fun in that?” the fifth member of their team, Taichi, whined as he barreled past the tree Shisui was now perched on. His hands flickered through signs for a jutsu, sending a water dragon towards a couple of screaming bandits.

“That’s overkill, Taichi,” Genma said, dropping into a crouch next to Shisui. The Tokubetsu Jounin spat a senbon at a man near Ayaka, making the woman yell, “Genma-san, that was my kill!”

Rolling his eyes, the Shiranui exchanged a commiserating look with the Uchiha. What did it say about his team that the only level headed person was a kid?

“You guys are too bloodthirsty for my liking,” he complained. Genma settled on the branch, waving for Shisui to go back to his fight. “I’ve already finished off my targets. Chop, chop, people; you’re slow.”

Shisui stifled a laugh but obliged. Konoha was still two hours away and it would be prudent to conserve chakra. Choosing to end it quickly, he let his Sharingan flare back to life, having let it fade away a few minutes ago. A quick genjutsu to throw off the remaining bandits and precisely aimed kunai did the job.

Genma grinned at the complaints that rose from the other three Konoha shinobi and he dropped to the ground. “Looks like the kid won,” he commented cheerily, eyeing their disgruntled expressions with some measure of amusement.

“I wasn’t aware we were having a contest,” Shisui snarked back, collecting his kunai. “I left one alive, by the way. He seemed like the leader and I thought we should find out if this was their entire group or if they have more men.”

“Got him,” Taichi grunted, having spotted the last bandit collapsed against a tree. He was still trapped in the genjutsu and that made it easier to grab him. The five Konoha shinobi formed a circle around him to prevent any chance of escape.

At a signal from Genma, Shisui released his genjutsu. The man lurched forward, still not having processed that he was free. Ayaka kicked him back, snarling when the man tried to punch her. The bandit finally regained his senses and looked around, a mix of fury and despair on his face when he realized the rest of his group were dead or dying.

“So,” Genma drawled, eyeing the growling man with a raised eyebrow. “Mind telling us if there are more of you?”

“Go to hell, Konoha scum!” the bandit yelled, faint tendrils of chakra crackling around his hand and surprising the shinobi. None of the other bandits had shown any inclination towards using any jutsu and they had assumed that they didn’t know how.

Shisui watched with his Sharingan, the tomoe spinning rapidly, vision crystal clear and as if in slow motion, the progress the hand crackling with chakra made as it reached for strange black patterns on the skin of the other arm.

 _‘Seals,’_ his brain corrected instantly, recognizing some of the patterns from a scroll that he had seen on high level Fuuinjutsu. Those kinds of seals did not necessarily need to be in a circle and required careful design to make sure they did not backfire. Shisui had initially dismissed them as random tattoos, something he was coming to regret now.

A voice screamed at him in the back of his head, sounding suspiciously like Hikari, to move and to defend. His instincts kicked in and the Uchiha moved swiftly, grabbing a piece of paper from his hip pouch and slammed it on the ground.

Two things happened at the same time. The bandit triggered his seal, the black lines enveloping his body as he stared at the startled shinobi in front of him with a deranged grin. The other thing was crimson boundary lines spreading from the seal Shisui used, forming a square around the man.

Just in time.

The bandit literally exploded in a burst of fire, the flames strong and white-hot. They expanded in all directions, reaching for the Konoha shinobi who cursed and started to jump back. But the spread of the fiery explosion was halted by a deep crimson barrier that sprang from the ground.

Shisui grunted, straining to contain the explosion within the barrier he had set up hastily. It was a low-level barrier seal, good for a quick defense but not for something like this!

 _‘Hikari-chan is going to kick me when she finds out I used a defensive barrier seal instead of a containment seal,’_ he mused absently, pouring more chakra into the seal and forcing it to take the shape of a cube. He winced as the chakra overload burnt the skin of his hands. _‘In my defense, I had to act quickly and I don’t have the right seal on me now.’_

A mistake he fully intended to correct in the future.

The fire slowly died down, using up all the oxygen in the small enclosure and having nothing to feed it. The Uchiha let the barrier fall and collapsed with a groan, “I do _not_ want to do that again.”

“Nice reaction time, kid,” Taichi told him, having regained his wits. He edged around the burnt ground, eyeing the charred corpse of the bandit warily. “Not that the explosion would have killed us but we certainly would have been nursing some burns.”

Shisui didn’t deign that with a reply, swatting at the man half-heartedly when Taichi poked him in the side. He hissed in pain when the movement pulled on the burnt skin, catching everyone’s attention.

“You alright there?” Michiro took one of the boy’s hands in a gentle grip, wincing in sympathy at the angry red burns. “Is a seal supposed to cause this much damage to the user?”

“No, but I didn’t use it the way that specific seal was supposed to be,” Shisui replied, sitting up and tugging his hand back. “I literally forced it to surround something else instead of me. Worse, I put too much chakra into a seal that _can’t_ handle it.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Genma stated flatly, the others nodding with confused expressions.

Shisui huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just wondering how much trouble I’m in.”

Ayaka raised an eyebrow at the boy as she helped him up. “With who?”

“Hikari-chan.”

“Hikari? As in that Uzumaki?”

“Yep. She’s sweet but misuse seals and she’ll bring down hell on you.”

Michiro stared at him incredulously, not believing his ears. “Isn’t she, like, a _kid_? _Younger_ than you?”

“That doesn’t matter to Hikari-chan,” Shisui grinned, despite fearing the redhead’s reaction. “Never underestimate her. Only reason I’ll get off fairly easy is that I did that for a good cause.”

Genma shook his head, filing away the information on the female Uzumaki to ponder on for later. It was certainly something to think about.

“Come on, let’s get back to Konoha. We may be only two hours away but we can’t let our guard down.”

“Think we’ll face any more bandits, Shiranui-san?”

“That guy using a suicide seal either means that there’s no one else left or he didn’t want to give away anything.”

“Doubt it. Bandits like those guys have no honor,” Ayaka pointed out as the group of five started moving towards their village. “I have no objections against remaining on guard but I think that was all of them.”

* * *

“Well then, I’m going to hand in these reports,” Genma informed his team once they reached Konoha and checked in at the gate, enduring the lookover Izumo and Kotetsu gave him with nothing more than an exasperated eyeroll and a resigned smile.

“Kid,” he addressed Shisui, who straightened. “See a medic about your hands or else I’ll drag you to the hospital myself.”

Kotetsu snorted, partially hanging out of the guard station. “Found another one to mother-hen, Genma-san?”

Not really deigning the comment with a reply, the Tokubetsu Jounin waved goodbye to his team and headed towards the Hokage Tower. The remaining members turned to face Shisui who sweat-dropped at the five stern stares.

“Uh…what?”

“You going to a medic now?”

“I-”

“Shisui!”

A highly familiar voice called out his name and the Uchiha turned around just in time to have a blur of red and black crash into him. Arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hug and Shisui relaxed as the warm and bubbly chakra of his friend washed over him.

“Welcome back, Shisui!”

Hikari’s voice was loud in his ear but he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. _‘Itachi’s here too.’_ The younger Uchiha nodded at the older shinobi and bowed a little in greeting before meeting Shisui’s eyes with a small smile.

Shisui laughed and wound his arms around the redhead’s waist, returning the hug. “I’m back, Hikari-chan, Itachi.”

Around the three kids, the adults were watching with wide grins, Michiro opening his mouth to utter what would likely be a snarky and entirely unwanted comment. The Uchiha glared at him, making the man shut up but it didn’t stop him from grinning.

Shisui sure was glad that he likely wasn’t going to have another mission with those guys any time soon.

He released the girl but in the process brushed his hands against her clothes accidentally, sending a flare of pain up his arms which made him stiffen.

_‘Uh oh, hope Hikari-chan didn’t catch that.’_

“You flinched. Where are you hurt and how mad am I going to be?”

Nope. Busted.

Hikari pulled back but stayed within reaching distance, leveling a stern glare at the Uchiha who looked back sheepishly. He held up his hands, now covered with angry blisters. The limbs had been slathered with some medicinal cream and wrapped loosely with gauze but the burns were bad enough for the first-aid to be mostly useless.

A red eyebrow twitched and Shisui braced himself for a scolding; Hikari really didn’t like her friends getting hurt. Much to his surprise, she deflated almost immediately, instead taking one hand in hers and gently removed the gauze.

“Chakra burns,” she murmured to himself, wiping away the remnants of the medicinal cream with the gauze. Her right hand glowed with green chakra that she held over the burn. The effect was almost instant; the pain went down noticeably and Shisui sighed in relief.

“Do I want to know how you got them?” Hikari raised an eyebrow in question, smiling a little to show that she wasn’t angry.

Shisui tried to deflect, “Since when do you know iryo ninjutsu?”

The Uzumaki’s flat expression told him that she knew exactly what he was attempting to do and was not impressed. “Shisui…” she dragged out his name, warning clear in her voice.

“I might have done something stupid? In my defense, it was necessary!”

“Right…”

“I’m serious!”

Taking pity on the almost flailing boy, Ayaka cut in, “Uchiha-kun is correct, Uzumaki-san. If he didn’t do what he did, we might all be suffering from burns now.”

Hikari’s eyes flickered to the woman, judging her honesty and giving a nod in response. She turned back to Shisui, “Burns,” she stated, expression as flat as her voice. “Let me guess, you contained a fire or something with a seal not designed for that.”

Taichi, Michiro and Ayaka startled; how the hell was she able to deduce that from just a few clues?

Shisui, for his part, stared straight into blue eyes, looking for whatever his friend was not saying. He knew her well enough to realize that she was worried, not angry.

With a sigh of resignation, the boy dropped his head on the girl’s shoulder. “Yeah. You’re absolutely right, Hikari-chan.”

Hikari simply hummed in reply to the words, silently reaching for Shisui’s other hand. The lack of reaction confused the three members of Shisui’s team, Taichi venturing to ask, “Uchiha said that you might get angry...but you’re not…?”

“I know Shisui well enough to understand that he calculated all possibilities and went with the solution with minimal drawbacks. I trust him.”

Shisui raised his head, dark eyes twinkling, “Does that mean-?”

“Whatever you are thinking of now, toss it out of your brain,” Hikari ordered, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile. “If you do something stupid on purpose, you know the punishment.”

The Uchiha pouted, “Hikari-chan…!”

“No means no, Shisui. Learn from Itachi; he knows when to not fool around.”

Itachi, who had remained silent so far, cut in with a deadpan stare directed at the redhead, “I respect you, Hikari, but I don’t want to be thrown into the Naka river. _With my chakra sealed off_.”

“But Itachi! Making things go boom is fun!”

“Leave me out of whatever you’re planning, Shisui.”

Hikari snorted as the two Uchiha started bickering and ducked out of the way when Shisui launched himself at Itachi. She left them to their devices and looked at the five adults who were watching the scene with bemusement.

“And here I thought that Uchiha were all stoic and icy.”

“Don’t let them fool you,” Hikari told Kotetsu, the Chuunin blinking at her. “Shisui is a troll of the highest order and Itachi is not far behind.”

“Still haven’t seen anyone like _that_ , though.”

“Not surprising. I’ve learnt that they only let their guard down around people they really trust. Anyway, I’m pretty sure you guys know me already but just in case; I’m Uzumaki Hikari.”

After a quick round of introductions, Hikari asked, “Anything I should know that Shisui might be hiding? As long as it isn’t mission specific or something.”

Michiro shook his head. “Nah. You already took care of his burns; might have a slight case of chakra exhaustion but overall, the kid’s fine.”

The Uzumaki nodded in thanks before casting an assessing glance over him. “Do you have any injuries, Michiro-san? Taichi-san and Ayaka-san too.”

“We’re fine,” Ayaka waved her off, her smile saying that she appreciated the offer. “We’re off now, Uzumaki-san. Take care of your Uchiha.”

The odd phrasing made the redhead blink in confusion, causing her to not notice when Shisui tackled her from behind. She yelped and started laughing when the boy swung her around.

“Shisui, put me down!”

Said Uchiha grinned and released her as ordered. “You didn’t answer my question from earlier. When did you start learning iryo ninjutsu?”

“I’m curious too,” Itachi piped in, falling into step at her left while Shisui was on her right. “Are you receiving training from someone?”

“No,” Hikari replied, tugging at her braid restlessly, an action that did not go unnoticed by either Uchiha. They didn’t comment on it though. “All self-taught, so I can’t heal anything serious yet.”

“What about broken bones?”

“Yes, if they’re clean breaks.”

She grimaced at the memory of when she had found out about that. Kakashi had stumbled into her room through the window in the middle of the night; blood loss had disoriented him and made him confuse her room for his.

Which, in hindsight, had been a very good thing.

After freaking out for a very long minute, Hikari had jumped into action, all but dragging the mostly unresponsive teen into the bathroom to wash off the blood. Stitching up the multiple lacerations he had received and healing his broken arm had _not_ been fun.

It had made her thank Kurama profusely for insisting that she learn the basics of iryo ninjutsu if she was just going to mope around the house.

“I feel like there’s a story behind that.”

“There is; just not one I’m willing to tell you.” In an attempt to change the topic, absolutely transparent to both Shisui and Itachi, Hikari asked, “What do you want for lunch? Your choice this time, Shisui, since you just came back from a mission.”

* * *

“So what’s got Hikari-chan so twitchy?”

Shisui murmured the words as low as he possibly could, glancing briefly into the kitchen where the Uzumaki was cooking their lunch. He had noticed her strange actions; anyone else would have passed them off as normal but not him. Spending weeks in her company had led him to pick up her minute tells and he knew Itachi was the same.

The younger Uchiha’s gaze flickered to meet Shisui’s serious eyes and he gave an imperceptible nod, subtly shifting himself in a way that hid his face from view from the windows. Alarm bells rang in his head and he had to prevent himself from stiffening.

_They were being watched._

“I noticed that Hikari is being followed,” Itachi said, voice just as low as Shisui’s had been. “When I met her earlier, she did not sense me until I was only five feet away.”

Shisui frowned. “That’s not normal.”

“No. She was rather uncomfortable and became clingy when she spotted me. With her sensory range, I am certain Hikari is aware of her shadows.”

“And believes them to be hostile.”

“Yes.”

That was rather concerning. “Hikari-chan’s been here for six months. It’s not an ANBU guard,” Shisui mused out loud. If that were true, his friend would not be quite so bothered. “Hmm…Itachi, were there three of them?”

“I noticed only two,” the younger Uchiha admitted, not happy that he had apparently missed one. But it was understandable; he was still getting the hang of picking out chakra signatures. None of the presences he had sensed had been malicious but there had been a feeling of wrongness.

“Yes, there were three.”

An unexpected voice cut off anything either boy had to say and they turned in unison to see Hikari leaning against the kitchen counter. Blue eyes watched them, giving nothing away. “Three were following me and two are currently watching the house.”

Only her relaxed posture stopped Shisui from jumping and shaking some sense into his friend. “And you didn’t think to tell anyone? Or does someone already know?”

Hikari tilted her head to the right, studying him as she replied, “I know that Tenzo-san has noticed them. That means Kakashi-nii and Jiji know.”

“And neither of them has said anything?” Shisui practically demanded. A threat directed at Hikari meant a threat directed at Naruto. The child might be unaware of it and the village mostly uncaring but a Jinchuuriki needed to be protected, if only to maintain the power balance amongst the Five Great Shinobi villages.

Personally, no way was he going to let anyone touch the blond.

The female Uzumaki’s expression shifted, becoming conflicted as she internally warred with how much she could tell them. “Not exactly,” she conceded, deciding to reveal part of the truth. “Right now, I’m only being watched. They’re not going to attack me or anything.”

“But-”

“No, Itachi,” Hikari cut him off, shaking her head. “None of them are foreign shinobi; I’m just uncomfortable with being watched so closely.”

There, that was the truth.

She knew very well that Danzo wouldn’t dare to kidnap her from right under the Hokage’s nose, not with Kakashi and Tenzo looking out for her and Naruto. _‘ROOT is only a minor nuisance right now,’_ she thought with mild annoyance. _‘I could just kill Danzo and be done with it, but he’s not actively undermining Konoha right now. And who knows, there might have been incidents that he took care of before.’_

 ** _“Is that wise?”_** Kurama interrupted her train of thought, sounding serious. **_“You’re basically giving him free reign for the foreseeable future, kit.”_**

_“I know, but he’s still useful in his own way. As long as Jiji doesn’t let up on him, it should be fine. But if he steps even a millimeter out of line…”_

Hikari would slaughter him _painfully_ , the Sandaime be damned.

While she was having her internal conversation, Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances. There was something off about the whole thing. Though neither had the authority to investigate it.

Itachi raised an eyebrow minutely. _Are we going to drop it?_

Shisui smirked and shook his head almost imperceptibly, tapping the table with the index finger of his right hand. _Not entirely. We’ll keep an eye on the situation._

A tilt of the head. _Only monitoring?_

_Yes._

“Don’t think I didn’t notice your silent conversation,” Hikari stated drily, spinning on her heel to head back into the kitchen. “Do whatever you like; just don’t be reckless. A little tidbit: no one can see inside the house, apart from silhouettes.”

Well.

If that wasn’t permission, then Shisui didn’t know what was.

* * *

Shibi walked at a sedate pace through the forest, looking for his son and ward. Under normal circumstances, he would have sent a clan member to fetch them. Tsume and Hiashi had just arrived, stating they had a mission. It was rare that they were sent out but considering it was a high-ranking information gathering mission for Konoha, Shibi supposed it was reasonable.

And something that Shikaku had said…

_“I’m keeping Shikamaru and the other kids in the clan monitored,” the Nara Clan Head had said, during one of the gatherings of all the clan heads. “Who knows if someone else will get the bright idea to attempt what Kumo did.”_

It had stuck with Shibi for some reason; who would attempt to do such a thing?

Suna had their own problems and had no time to interfere in another village.

Iwa would rather slaughter anyone from Konoha than take them. …Actually, that was a concern too.

Kiri’s view towards bloodlines struck them off the list.

Kumo had just scampered off with their tail between their legs and wouldn’t dare try anything so soon.

 _‘It stands to reason that Shikaku referred to someone within the village,’_ Shibi deduced. It was almost preposterous but if it was something the Nara had seen fit to warn them of, then it was worth following up on.

In a bid to find the children faster, the Aburame sent out his kikaichu. He kept walking in the direction he remembered the children going as he waited for his kikaichu to return. He didn’t have to wait long; a few returned in less than a minute. Shibi held out his hand, stiffening as he received the information from his insects.

 _‘What is Danzo-sama doing here?’_ he thought, picking up his pace. Unlike most of the village, Shibi actually had evidence on the questionable actions of the clandestine organization Danzo ran, thanks to an accidental discovery made by his kikaichu. However, he kept his silence, surmising that the Hokage would be aware of ROOT.

Even though Shibi understood the old Advisor’s motivations for running ROOT, he could not and would not allow his clansmen to enter such a shady organization, let alone his son and ward. The only reason that Shibi could think of on Danzo’s presence was that the man was there to recruit one of the children or possibly both.

_‘And he would have likely succeeded. If it were not for Shikaku’s warning, I would not have come to fetch the children.’_

Shibi saw the instant Danzo noticed his presence and stepped away from the two children he had come for, a look of distaste crossing the visible part of his face before being cleared away. “Danzo-sama,” he greeted calmly, coming to a stop a few feet from the trio.

“Shibi-dono,” the old war hawk replied stiffly, single eye fixed on the Aburame. “Have you come for your son?”

“Yes,” Shibi nodded, gesturing for the two boys to come to him. Shino immediately went to his father, Torune following him at a slower pace. The elder Aburame assessed the children carefully, only looking up at the other person amongst the trees once he was satisfied with their well-being.

“May I assist you with anything, Danzo-sama?”

“No, but I appreciate the offer,” Danzo replied swiftly, as if he was expecting the question. He turned away, eye drifting to young Shino and lingering for a moment. “You have gifted children, Shibi-dono. Raise them well.”

The Clan Head nodded in acknowledgment, tense posture carefully hidden behind the bulky clothes he wore. Only when the Advisor left the immediate range of his kikaichu did he relax.

“Come, Shino, Torune. We must return.”

The three Aburame turned around to head towards the clan’s main house, silence falling over them. Shibi studied his son; Shino was ignoring the world in a way only a child would, watching a kikaichu crawl across the back of his hand.

Torune, however, was not quite so calm.

“What is it, Torune?”

The five-year-old raised his head to meet Shibi’s eyes, hidden behind the glasses. “That man, Danzo-sama; he wanted Shino.”

Shibi glanced at the boy sharply, gesturing for him to continue. Torune obliged, “He said that Shino had potential and that he would train to become strong. He was about to say more when you came, Shibi-sama.”

“…I see.”

 _‘Even if most of its practices are abhorrent, ROOT is still a sanctioned organization,’_ Shibi mused. If Danzo had approached him directly with a request to recruit one of his clansmen, Shibi might have considered it fairly. But it was unforgivable to coerce a child who would have no idea of what he was consenting to.

Worse, it was _his own son_ that the old man had attempted to take.

_‘It is likely that Danzo-sama might have taken both Shino and Torune if I had not arrived in time.’_

There was no doubt that an issue of missing children, especially clan children, would have kicked up quite the fuss but Shibi was certain that Danzo would have had a way to shift the blame elsewhere.

The main house came into view and Shino ran inside, presumably looking for his mother. When Torune was about to follow him, he was stopped by a quiet call of his name. “Do not speak of this matter to anyone unless I permit it, Torune. I believe it would be dangerous to both you and Shino.”

When the boy nodded his understanding, Shibi let him go. He absently watched the boy walk away down the corridor, lost in thought.

“Oi, Shibi; what’s taking so long?”

“…Tsume.”

The Inuzuka woman glared at him, hands on her hips as a scowl twisted her purple painted lips. “We have to go, remember?”

Hiashi stood behind her, expression as serene as ever. He simply dipped his head in a small nod at Shibi, pale eyes shifting to see what the other man had been looking at. The distant form of the black-clad boy was all that he could see and he asked, “Is that child your ward?”

“Yes.”

That was all the Aburame said, making Tsume harrumph in annoyance and turn on her heel. She stomped towards the entrance, calling over her shoulder, “Well? You two idiots coming?!”

Hiashi and Shibi fell into step behind their teammate, Shibi only stopping for a minute to pass on some instructions to his clansmen to follow in his absence.

It was only when they were out of Konoha and well on their way towards their destination that Tsume grunted and broke the silence. “So? What are you brooding about, Shibi?”

None of them stopped or altered their pace but the Aburame could feel both his teammates’ curious and concerned stares. Shibi contemplated on his response for a moment; Hiashi and Tsume had been his teammates for years and the Hyuuga had only recently had a similar experience concerning his daughter.

“I met Danzo-sama in the forest when I went to retrieve Shino and Torune.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Torune said that Danzo-sama wanted Shino.”

Hiashi slanted his gaze at Shibi, a tiny crease between his eyebrows giving away his worry. “Wanted as in…?”

“Danzo-sama did not say as I arrived before he had a chance to,” Shibi stated, ignoring the curses that his words invoked from the Inuzuka woman. He wasn’t certain if Tsume got what he was hinting at but she was clearly incensed by the idea that someone would try to take a child.

But Hiashi had caught on, “For ROOT?”

“I presume so.”

“That’s worse!” Tsume growled, echoed by her partner Kuromaru. “What are you going to do, Shibi?”

“Any hasty action will not be beneficial. It is best to wait and observe for now.”

“Like hell-!”

“I agree.”

Tsume whipped her head to the side to stare at Hiashi incredulously. The Hyuuga Clan Head returned the gaze with an air of solemnity. “Shibi is right in his decision to not make a move immediately. We have only suspicions, with no evidence to back our words. Why do you think Shikaku gave a subtle warning instead of doing something outright?”

“Tch.”

The woman subsided with a low snarl, her expression showing her displeasure. “That geezer better not touch my pups or I’ll rip him to shreds! Once we get back, I’m hunting down that Nara and making him spill everything!”

Murmurs of agreement followed those vicious statements.

ROOT was a secret organization, known only to the Hokage, the Advisors and the Shinobi Council. On paper, they did not exist. It was what allowed them to get away with hiding their system of operation. But doubts were starting to crop up and some of the clan heads were growing uneasy.

It had started with the Mokuton user, Tenzo, being integrated into ANBU. Not many were aware of the details of that fiasco but the occurrence itself was sufficient to raise some alarms.

Next was the question of who the ROOT shinobi answered to. Did they answer only to Shimura Danzo or were they loyal to Konoha as a whole?

There were other little things but the recent one was the worst; attempting to take a three-year-old without his family’s consent practically _screamed_ warnings in vivid red.

None of them were certain about what was happening just yet but a budding suspicion told them that it was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mainly to show what Danzo is up to, rather than anything serious.
> 
> I don't recall exactly when Danzo tried to get Shino but I'm fairly sure that it was actually later in the future. I know that Yamanaku Fu was the one he recruited first in canon, but here he went after Shino first. Thanks to Shibi heeding Shikaku's warning, that was averted.
> 
> I also know that Danzo is smarter than what I've shown in this chapter but he's starting to become rattled. None of his plans have come to fruition ever since Hikari arrived and his surveillance on her has gotten him nothing. So, he saw Shino and Torune playing in the forest and went, "I want that kid."
> 
> What do you guys think?
> 
> Posted: 30/08/2020


	14. In search of crimson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikari and Kakashi go on a little trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I managed to finish this within two weeks!  
> This chapter was fun to write and it covers quite a lot of stuff, as well as sets the foundation for future events.  
> (How many of these hints will you find?)
> 
> [LucyNightwing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucyNightwing/) made this lovely [art](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCyOcbADHD-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) of Hikari. Go check it out on their Instagram!  
> 
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Hikari leant back on her palms, staring up at what she could see of the night sky. Thick foliage hid her from view where she was seated on a high branch. _‘It’s been a while since I spent the night outdoors,’_ she thought to herself. _‘I should take Naruto camping sometime, perhaps when summer comes.’_

Down on the ground, Kakashi moved about, putting out the fire they had made when the pair had decided to stop for the night. He was almost done and was preparing to take the first watch.

The girl watched him for a bit, studying his body language. Kakashi had changed a lot from the closed-off teenager she had met months ago. He was more relaxed, prone to smiling or laughing when the situation called for it. Hikari could openly say she was proud of him.

_‘Hoping the bomb I’m going to drop on him won’t make him regress,’_ she thought with a grimace. Noticing that the Hatake had settled down, Hikari slipped off the branch and landed silently on the forest floor in a crouch.

“Kakashi-nii, there’s something I need to tell you.”

The teen straightened immediately, both at her tone of voice and form of address. She only ever called him by his full name when she was being serious.

“What is it?”

“Give me a minute.”

Hikari traced the perimeter they had set up, placing privacy seals to ensure that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. Not that someone could be missed by either of them but better safe than sorry. There were ways to hide from a sensor, after all.

Kakashi was staring at her with an inquisitive look when she turned back to face him. He was somewhat concerned that they were about to discuss something seemingly important out in the open, but he trusted the Uzumaki’s seals.

Not to mention that he was insanely curious.

Plopping down in front of the ANBU with a hidden sigh, Hikari braced herself. Blue eyes were filled with a sort of grim determination as she cut straight to the point, “Your teammate, Rin; can you tell me how she died?”

“Wh-”

“Please.”

A single wide eye met Hikari’s sorrowful ones and Kakashi had to resist the urge to flee. He could never have predicted that it was how the conversation was going to go. “Don’t you already know?” he whispered weakly, hoping that he wouldn’t have to say it.

“I know what happened in my world but not here.”

That caught Kakashi off guard, enough for the edge to fade as surprise colored his visible eye. “I thought you would have gone looking for the information.”

Hikari shrugged, clearly uncomfortable but determined to continue. “Could have, but I didn’t want to poke around in your business.”

_‘And this isn’t **poking around**?’_ Kakashi bit back the words that came instantly, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Now that he had processed his emotions, he noticed that Hikari was just as unsettled as he was.

Strangely, that made him relax a little.

“…Kiri kidnapped her and sealed the Sanbi inside her. They planned for the seal to break when Rin entered Konoha, but…”

“But she leapt in front of your Chidori and killed herself,” Hikari completed in a quiet voice, a soft and sympathizing expression on her face.

“…yes.”

The whispered reply was barely audible even with her sharp hearing but it was all Hikari needed to know. She exhaled, tilting her head back. _‘So it really is the same here as well.’_

She looked back at Kakashi, raising a hand to pat his head gently. He looked up, grey eye suspiciously shiny. “So? Why did you want to know _that_?”

If the words came out harsher than he had expected, Kakashi did not regret them or apologize. And judging by Hikari’s expression, she didn’t expect him to.

Withdrawing her hand, the redhead shifted to sit in a perfect seiza. She wiped all emotion off her face, knowing that what she was going to say next was not easy. “Would you believe me if I told you that your other teammate, Uchiha Obito, might still be alive?”

Silence.

Kakashi leapt to his feet with a snarl, anger etched on his features. “Why would you even say that?! He’s dead! He died crushed under those rocks! Instead of _me_! We left him there, _I_ _left him there_ …!”

The words that burst out in a fit anger rapidly bled into despair and self-loathing that Hikari did not flinch away from. Instead, she simply held the teen’s gaze, not wavering even the slightest in her resolve. From the start, she had known that she was going to bring up old wounds but she had hope that it might give Kakashi a chance to start healing.

All the fight went out of him when Kakashi’s outburst did not evoke any reaction and he fell to his knees, hands gripping the material of his pants hard enough to nearly rip them. Hikari still didn’t utter a word, reaching out to gather the grieving teen and gently pull him into a hug. Kakashi buried his face in her shoulder.

For once accepting the comfort offered to him.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” she said after what felt like an eternity, words whisper soft. “But it’s what happened in my world. And there are so many similarities here…”

“You don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

“No.”

Kakashi pulled back, shoving his rampant emotions into a box and locking it away for the time being. “Tell me everything.”

Hikari nodded. “Remember what I told you about Kaguya? There’s a…creature, I suppose, born as a manifestation of her will, Black Zetsu. It has been pulling the strings from the shadows to revive Kaguya. Obito was- _is_ a pawn in its plans. That day, when Obito _should_ have died, another creature, White Zetsu, took him and healed him.”

“Healed him?” Kakashi interrupted, eye wide with disbelief. “But Obito’s entire right side was-”

“Crushed, I know.”

Hikari shook her head when she noticed the teen’s mental state about to spiral downwards. “There was nothing you could have done, Kashi-nii. I doubt even Tsunade-baa-chan could have healed him. No, he was infused with organic matter from White Zetsu; since it had Senju Hashirama’s cells, it managed to keep him alive.”

“The Shodai? How?”

“That’s a matter for later. I haven’t even told you the worst part.”

_‘What could be worse than this?’_ Kakashi thought morosely. Already he was hit with information that ripped the ground from under his feet and was on the verge of imploding.

“Rin’s death was planned. When your Chidori stabbed her…” Hikari swallowed around the persistent lump in her throat. She wanted to do it like ripping off a bandage but the words just wouldn’t come. “That time…”

Kakashi was sure he wasn’t going to like whatever came next.

“Obito was there.”

He didn’t.

* * *

When he came to himself, Kakashi found himself lying on the dirt. He was curled up tight under a tree, hands gripping his head, as if the pain he inflicted on himself would overpower the pain in his heart.

Obito, the person he had come to see as his best friend, had watched the love of his life die at Kakashi’s hands.

No wonder he never came back to Konoha.

A dry laugh ripped itself from his throat, echoing in the silence around him. _‘The only thing Obito ever asked of me was to protect Rin,’_ he thought absently, tugging his hair hard enough to send sharp spikes of pain down his spine. _‘And he got to watch me break that promise.’_

For a long time, Kakashi had blamed himself; he left Naruto alone, he couldn’t protect Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee, he killed Rin, he let Obito die in his place.

Now the last part was told to be false, in the worst way possible.

_‘That day, if I could have stopped myself from killing Rin, would Obito have come back?’_

_‘Would he have forgiven me for leaving him behind?’_

Kakashi would never know the answers to those questions; Rin was dead by his hand and Obito was gone.

He didn’t even realize his thoughts were going in circles.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Unknowing of the passing time, the teen lay curled on the ground, mentally ripping himself apart. Distantly, he heard the ruffling of leaves and he vaguely hoped it was an enemy who might put him out of his misery.

“You know, I kind of expected you to react like that.”

“…Hikari.”

A small hand settled atop his own hands, the gentle touch making him freeze. He didn’t deserve kindness; soft touches and comforting gestures weren’t for him. Only sharp edges and sharper words, to cut deep and make him bleed, to make him suffer.

“Obito even bet that you would try to hurt yourself, that idiot. Ha, I win!”

What?

Kakashi didn’t realize he had spoken out loud until Hikari was answering him, “It was during one of our ‘downtimes’; Obito and Kakashi-sensei were arguing that if Sensei had been told that Obito was alive years ago, Sensei would have beat himself bloody in a of twisted sense of self-loathing. Of course, Sensei said that he would do no such thing and instead listen calmly.”

The redhead let out a fond chuckle, staring up at the night sky. “I got mad when they didn’t stop arguing for thirty minutes and punched them. _I_ bet that Sensei would have run off and beat himself up verbally. Looks like both Sensei and Obito lost!”

By the time, she finished with her retelling, Kakashi had sat up, staring at her blankly. “What do you mean _we_ argued?”

“Remember when I told you that Rin’s death was planned? It was set up to make Obito listen to Zetsu and Madara; even you being the one to kill her was predicted.” Hikari’s voice softened and she turned to face him. “It was a kind of brainwashing, he even had a seal on him to make him susceptible to it.”

“So he became our enemy?”

Hikari hummed in agreement. “Yes and no. He did a lot of bad things, hurting so many people. But in the end, he saw the truth and fought on our side.”

“….Obito and my counterpart made up?”

The question was so very hopeful, with a fragility in it that made the girl’s heart ache. How could she answer with anything but the truth?

“They did. The pain and suffering that both of them went through tied them together, a bond stronger than they ever dreamed of.”

It was something Hikari would never tell this Kakashi but there were fragmented memories, memories that told her how Obito had broken when her Kakashi had died. The Uchiha had never been the same after that.

Hikari often suspected that if it were not for her and Minato’s sakes, Obito would have followed Kakashi into death almost immediately after the Hatake.

Focusing back on reality, she studied the teen next to her, keeping her gaze unobtrusive. Kakashi seemed to be calming down, though whether it was because he had processed everything and had come to terms with it or he was shutting down internally was yet to be seen.

“Look, I didn’t tell you this to make you upset.” Hikari stood up abruptly, making Kakashi look at her with mild alarm. “There are a lot of hints that indicate that Obito is likely to be alive here as well. If that’s the case, I wanted you to know. That’s all there is to it.”

With that, she turned around to head back to camp in order to give the Hatake some space. She stopped when he called out, “Wait! You said Obito hurt a lot of people. What did you mean by that?”

“I’ll give you one event. The Kyuubi being released…that wasn’t an accident.”

Hikari’s parting words left Kakashi stunned.

_‘Obito was the one who released the Kyuubi…?’_

That meant the deaths of many shinobi and civilians from Konoha were because of him.

_Minato and Kushina died because of him_.

And…

Hikari _knew_ that.

Why was she not wanting his death then?

_“It was a kind of brainwashing, he even had a seal on him to make him susceptible to it.”_

Kakashi recalled the redhead’s words but wasn’t fully able to reconcile it. Even if Obito had been brainwashed and had evidence to prove it, Kakashi wasn’t sure he’d be able to forgive someone who took away everything from him.

Wasn’t that a fact?

Hikari, who was a counterpart of Naruto, had had her parents, a chance at a normal life and likely friends as well taken from her because of his former teammate. And yet, she spoke of the Uchiha fondly, like she would his own counterpart.

Kakashi knew she saw him as a brother, just like she had the other Kakashi. The age difference only meant that he was a younger brother while his counterpart had been her elder brother. That meant she saw Obito, _in spite of everything he had done to her_ , as an elder brother.

_As family_.

Strangely, that was what made the choking despair and panic disappear. Kakashi felt like he could finally breathe, the news that Obito might still be alive no longer quite so burdening.

Even if it were not so, the mere thought that his teammate would have forgiven him was humbling and freeing.

* * *

The scent of tea greeted her the moment she woke and Hikari sat up, rubbing her eyes as she stood to follow the inviting scent.

“Good morning,” Kakashi said, amused as he held out a mug of tea to the redhead. She reached out for it blindly and took a large gulp. The heat burned her throat as she swallowed the steaming liquid, waking her up immediately.

“Morning…”

Hikari squinted at the ANBU as she muttered the greeting, suspicious of the amusement she saw on his features. “You’re smiling.”

“I am,” said ANBU replied cheerfully, eyeing her rumpled clothing and bed hair. For someone who was usually a morning person, the Uzumaki was weirdly off-kilter and slow on the uptake at the moment.

“What conclusion did you come to that made you so happy?”

Ah. So she was still thinking about the previous night’s conversation.

“I thought about everything you said last night and everything you didn’t.” He gave her a pointed look when she attempted to protest; he was well aware that there were a lot of things Hikari didn’t tell him. “I admit I’m still processing, but you implied that there is a way to save Obito. That’s enough to keep me going for now.”

Hikari nodded rather dumbly, a little astounded by the amount of emotional stability Kakashi had gained and just demonstrated. She did know that the Hatake was a strong person, to be able to survive through so many heartbreaking losses. Her Kakashi had learnt the truth of Obito in the midst of a war and had come to terms with it in mere hours.

Perhaps she was giving him lesser credit than he deserved.

The rest of the hour was spent in relative silence, eating breakfast and clearing up the camp. It was only when they were well on their way to their destination that Kakashi spoke up. “If Obito is still around, how can I identify him?”

“Hmm? Oh, he might be wearing black clothes and an orange mask. In my world, he went around by the name Tobi. Most of the time he acted like a fool,” Hikari grimaced, recalling the few interactions she had had with the Uchiha before he had revealed himself. “How good are you at identifying chakra signatures?”

“Not much. Only if they’re in range; I’m not a sensor like you.”

“Point.”

Hikari sometimes forgot that people didn’t really _feel_ the world like she did, not even other sensors. She supposed that it was because she had been subconsciously using her sensing ability as long as she could remember and the added advantage of Sage Mode had changed the way she perceived chakra irreversibly.

Not that she was complaining; it was hell of a useful ability.

Back to her point; very few could sense chakra and the rest could _feel_ it within a certain range but not who or what it belonged to. It was keeping that fact in mind that she said, “In my world, Kakashi-sensei never recognized Obito until I broke his mask. His scent and chakra had changed a lot.”

“So you’re saying that I might not know that it is Obito even if he was standing right in front of me?”

“Yep. I’d rather you didn’t engage him if you ever encounter him though.”

“Why not?”

Yeah, Hikari was officially impressed.

Kakashi’s voice was even, with only pure curiosity and none of the defensiveness she had half expected.

“One, we don’t know if he’s the same here. Two, if he is, then he’s way stronger than you and will kill you without second thoughts. His chakra reserves are larger than yours -and we are so increasing yours when we get back, you can do better than that, Kashi-nii- and his Sharingan clearly doesn’t have the drawbacks yours has.”

Kakashi internally winced at the idea of being subjected to the Uzumaki’s training; she was sure to be harsh, considering what he knew of her teaching the two Uchiha boys. He set that aside for later and nodded in agreement to everything she had said.

Because if by some turn of luck, he did encounter his former teammate, he would have no idea of what to say to him.

That was without even poking the mess that he called his emotions.

“You want to understand the situation before you do anything.”

“Yeah. It’s not as simple as just dragging Obito home; there’s a lot of stuff in the shadows that we need to deal with as well. If I had come here as my older self, I would have taken care of things myself but as I am right now…I can’t do it without going all out and _that_ is not something I can risk.”

“I understand.”

Hikari spun on her heel, walking backwards for a bit as she looked up at Kakashi. She gave him a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Kashi-nii; we’ll bring him home.”

“If he’s out there.”

“If he’s out there,” the redhead parroted agreeably. Honestly speaking, she was almost a hundred percent certain that Obito was alive. All that was left was to find out where he was hiding and then to beat some sense into him.

There was a long silence before Kakashi broke it. He looked unusually hesitant and even his voice reflected it, “There’s something I want to know…you hate Danzo and want him dead, but you want to save Obito.”

Hikari looked quizzical as she nodded, “Yes…?”

“Why? I mean, if you compare the two, they’ve both done things that have hurt and killed many. But why do you want to kill one and save the other?”

“Ah.”

The Uzumaki stopped in place, prompting the ANBU to do the same. Her expression was pensive as she mulled over the question. From an outside perspective, both Obito and Danzo were people who should be killed or taken care of so that they couldn’t hurt anyone anymore.

But…

“It’s because they have different ideologies,” she eventually answered. When Kakashi didn’t look appeased by that, she sighed. “Look, I have more information on the situation than I’m willing to reveal. The only thing I can tell you is that Obito has certain, let’s say things-” no way was she going to spill that the Uchiha was hunting Bijuu “-he wants and if he can get them without much bloodshed, he will do it. He doesn’t care for slaughtering people; all he wants is to achieve his goal.”

Kakashi nodded slowly, “But Danzo isn’t like that.”

“Exactly. That man thinks that he is the supreme ruler and has the right to shape the world as he pleases. He says he’s helping Konoha when he’s actually furthering his own agenda.”

Hikari paused, staring into the distance. Perhaps one could argue that Obito was doing the same thing by wanting to envelope the world in the Mugen Tsukuyomi. And she understood that phrasing it the way she did was practically inviting someone to call her a hypocrite.

But there was no easy way to explain why Danzo did not deserve a second chance when Obito did.

“In the end, it comes down to the fact that one is being manipulated and brainwashed while the other is doing everything out of free will.”

_‘That, and the fact that Obito can change. Danzo will not. I don’t know if there might have been a point in time when the old geezer could have been convinced to follow different ideals but I do know that the time has long passed.’_

A hand landed on her head and gave her hair a vicious ruffle, making Hikari squawk in indignation. “Kashi-nii!!!”

“Don’t get too lost in your head,” Kakashi said, eye closing in a smile. “I was only asking out of curiosity. I shouldn’t mention anything about this to Hokage-sama, right?”

Hikari hesitated, shifting awkwardly. “Yes…? I would rather you not.”

“You don’t trust Hokage-sama.”

“No,” she admitted, voice soft but emotionless. “I might have mostly forgiven him but I can’t trust him when he’s _still_ overlooking Danzo’s actions. Strike one was the revelation of Naruto’s status as Jinchuuriki to the villagers. Two more and he loses any goodwill I still have left for him.”

“Not even if he does something to make up for it?”

“No.”

The Uzumaki’s shoulders slumped, face darkening with the bone-deep exhaustion she always carried and carefully kept hidden. Hikari had _warned_ Hiruzen, had explicitly told him that Danzo was out for the Uchiha but apart from spoiling the Shimura’s public plans, he had not taken any actions.

She could see Danzo’s manipulations clear as day, the rumors that were still spreading in Konoha being only the surface.

And while she had been working tirelessly to counter it, there was only so much a single person could do.

Hikari was well aware that if she told Hiruzen of Obito’s existence, of his past actions and future plans, the Sarutobi would set a price on the Uchiha’s head.

There was no way she could respect someone who would turn a blind eye to a wayward friend’s actions but denounce a person who could be changed.

A leader could never allow themselves to be so willfully blind.

…right, no more wandering thoughts for now.

Fortunately, Kakashi didn’t question her further and simply hummed in acknowledgement. He had his own reasons for hating the old war hawk and if Hikari’s plans coincided with him getting his best friend back, then he was all for it.

* * *

“So…where exactly are we heading?”

Kakashi leant against the tree Hikari was perched on, tilting his head back to look at her. Said girl was squinting into the distance, trying to make out something. She didn’t avert her gaze as she replied, “I was wondering when you were going to ask that.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Summoning Island. It was a place where research of summoning animals and development went on.”

“And where is it?”

Hikari dropped down in a flurry of red and black. “Somewhere between Hi no Kuni and Kaminari no Kuni,” she replied, tugging her hood up to hide her hair. “Don’t worry; it’s in neutral territory and we don’t have to worry about running into any Kumo nin.”

“Then my official mission really is fake,” Kakashi stated drily, raising an eyebrow when the girl snickered and shook her head. Dread filled him and he demanded, “Kusa is in the opposite direction! How am I supposed to complete it within the given timeframe?!”

He certainly did not expect this when he had been called into the Hokage’s office and given a mission scroll. Hiruzen had told him that the mission was mostly a front and he was to accompany Hikari wherever she went.

Now he had to wonder if he should have asked her what they were doing immediately after they had left Konoha instead of simply following her lead.

Hikari outright cackled at the frustration on the Hatake’s face. “You really didn’t notice something off when I snuck out of Konoha instead of walking out the gates? Really, Kashi-nii, I think you trust me too much.” Her laughter died down to low giggles soon and she continued, “I left a Kage Bunshin so that no one got suspicious but I did talk to Shikaku-san before I planned this.”

“That’s fine but how are we going to get to Kusa and then back to Konoha in a _week_?”

“Stop worrying! I sent a Kage Bunshin to place one of my Hiraishin markers near Kusa. We can just teleport there once we are done on Summoning Island.”

“You certainly seem to have thought things out beforehand.”

“Yep!”

The duo stepped up their pace after that conversation, reaching the coastline in less than two hours. “Now what?” Kakashi asked, looking around. There was no one in sight for miles; there wasn’t even any sign of human settlement. “Do we go looking for a boat?”

“No. There aren’t any boats that go to Summoning Island.”

That response earned the redhead a deadpan glare. “I don’t see any island so that means this place is at least a hundred miles away. How are we going to get there, water walking?”

Hikari beamed at him, a mischievous twinkle in blue eyes. “Exactly!” she chirped, taking his sarcasm seriously. Channeling chakra to her feet, she stepped on the water as easily as walking on solid ground. “If what I’m sensing is right, we have another hour of steady running ahead of us.”

Kakashi sighed, resigned to the Uzumaki’s craziness. “If I run out of chakra, you’re carrying me,” he threatened, stepping on the water himself. “And you’re telling me everything you know about this island.”

“I can give you some chakra if you need it,” Hikari replied, spinning around to face the horizon. “I have plenty, after all.”

“Right…the island?”

“We actually stumbled on it by accident. Yamato-taichou -I mean Tenzo-san-, Gai-sensei, Aoba-san and I were on our way to Kaminari no Kuni when we sailed into a storm and a huge bird grabbed Gai-sensei,” the redhead recalled. That had been an utterly chaotic time but looking back on it, she could recall the memory with fondness.

“The island was filled with all sorts of huge beasts; snakes, spiders, eagles or a weird mix of different animals. Someone wanted the ultimate summoning beast and the researchers were trying to create it.”

Kakashi could guess where the story was heading. “Something went wrong.”

“Yeah. The beast was too strong for them to control and it ate? swallowed?” Hikari shook her head, not wanting to bother with the semantics. “Basically it killed them all and a bunch of the other beasts, then went to sleep.”

“That thing is still alive?!”

“Should be,” Hikari shrugged, perking up at the first sight of Summoning Island. It was still far away but at their current speed, it wouldn’t take more than forty minutes. “It could use Genjutsu and Raiton as well as the abilities of any creature it consumed.”

Kakashi almost blanched at the thought of such a creature. Having a multitude of those running around would _not_ be good.

“So we’re going to kill it?”

Hikari nodded. “Honestly, no one ever goes near that island because of the creatures that live on it so it really isn’t important. The reason I want to go there is because the spirit of the person who was helping the researchers to restrain the beast was waiting for someone to come help her kill it.”

“A spirit?” It was almost incredulous to hear: a powerful beast and a spirit. “Is there something special about her?”

“I only saw her once but Aoba-san said that she was described as a ‘survivor of a certain clan of shinobi’ in a journal he found. Her name was Honoka and it seemed that she was an Uzumaki.”

Back then, Hikari hadn’t known that the woman with red hair could have belonged to her clan. It was only after Minato had started telling her stories of her mother’s clan that she realized that Honoka was family, albeit distantly.

Since there was no way to save her, the least Hikari could do was to free her spirit.

Kakashi sighed, though it was fond rather than exasperated or frustrated. “You really are one of a kind, Hikari.”

“Huh? What’d you mean?”

* * *

It was a relief to set foot on the ground again; running on water for an hour straight was not something Kakashi cared to do again unless it was strictly necessary. He took in the sight in front of him; at first glance, Summoning Island seemed pretty normal. There were no signs of the giant beasts Hikari had told him about but perhaps they were deeper inside the forests and mountains.

Movement in his peripheral made the ANBU turn to his right; a young woman with red hair and dressed in a purple sleeveless kimono blouse was standing near a tree. Sharp dark eyes met his own, a fiery determination in otherwise dull eyes taking Kakashi aback.

_‘This must be Honoka,’_ he mused as he called to the other, _living_ Uzumaki, “Hikari? Is that who you mentioned?”

“Huh?” Hikari blinked, looking up at Kakashi before turning in the direction he was facing. Her face brightened at the sight of the woman and she exclaimed, “Yeah, that’s her! Come on, Kashi-nii; we have to follow her!”

Honoka led them through the forest for a while, the trees eventually parting to reveal a rundown building. Once inside, she directed them to one of the rooms. Kakashi went inside, partly out of curiosity as to what was inside and partly out of professional concern to investigate.

Hikari, however, did not follow him; instead she stared at the woman who was leaning against the wall. “Hey…um, you can’t talk, right?” she winced when dark eyes connected with hers but to her surprise, the woman nodded. “Okay…my name’s Hikari. Uzumaki Hikari.”

That got a reaction.

Honoka blinked and stared at the younger girl’s face and Hikari obligingly pulled down her hood, letting her hair spill over her shoulders. For a moment, the two girls stood still, the only noise in the room coming from Kakashi rummaging about.

Then Honoka smiled, her features softening. Tears welled at the corners of Hikari’s eyes but she didn’t let them fall, instead showing a blinding grin. “I guess we’re really family then, huh?” she laughed, the sound a little wet. “I wish I could have met you for real. But since I can’t, I’ll do my best to free your spirit!”

Smile widening, Honoka nodded. Her lips moved soundlessly but Hikari could tell what she was trying to say.

_“Nice to meet you, little cousin.”_

* * *

“Is this the beast?” Kakashi asked, peering into the strange liquid. The so-called ultimate summoning beast looked like it was dead but he knew that wasn’t the case, thanks to Hikari. It did appear rather creepy, though. “How do we kill it?”

Hikari came up the short flight of stairs to stand next to the teen, brow creased in thought. “I’m not completely sure,” she said, frowning. “Last time, Gai-sensei kicked it towards the volcano,” she gestured to the opening on the left, “and Honoka-san stopped it from flying away. After that, I used my Rasenshuriken to slice it in half and drop it into the lava.”

“Rasenshuriken?”

“Wind chakra added to the Rasengan.”

Smiling at Kakashi’s awed mumble of “You completed Minato-sensei’s jutsu”, she continued, “While drawing it towards the volcano is possible, I can’t use the Rasenshuriken. I don’t know the effect it will have on my younger body.”

“Can you give it a try?”

Hikari pondered that for a moment. _“Kurama? Can you watch over me and intervene if the nature chakra goes haywire?”_

**_“Sure. Try not to gather too much.”_ **

_“Okay. Thanks!”_

To Kakashi, she said, “I’ll try but don’t bet on it. Keep an eye on the stupid thing and think of some ways we can beat it while I meditate.” With that, she leapt off the weird pool-like container and settled down to gather nature chakra.

Taking a deep breath, Hikari focused on her core and the chakra flowing around her, concentrating on collecting only trace amounts of nature chakra. She didn’t need much, after all, just enough to stabilize the Rasenshuriken and allow her to throw it.

After what felt like an hour but in actuality was only a minute, Kurama called out to her. **_“Kit, open your eyes.”_**

When the redhead obeyed the command, she found that she was in their shared mindscape, the fox having drawn her in while she had been meditating. _“What?”_

**_“Look at your reflection.”_ **

She did so and stared, doing a double-take. One hand rose to trace around her eye. Unlike before when her eyes turned yellow and the pupils transformed into bars like the toads, accompanied by orange around her eyes, now it was completely different.

Her eyes remained the same azure blue and her pupils were normal. The only change was a light smattering of blue, the same color as her chakra, on her eyelids. _“Huh. Is this because I’ve lost the Toad contract?”_

**_“Probably,”_** Kurama agreed, head resting on his front paws as he watched his host. **_“The benefits you receive from Sage Mode aren’t linked to the summons you learn it from but the contract seems to affect some parts of it. I suspect that you can still use Sage Mode like normal but I suggest signing a new contract.”_**

_“Eh? What for?”_

**_“To help you stabilize nature chakra. I doubt physical age matters much,”_** the Bijuu rumbled, explaining his theory. **_“Only chakra control, which you are proficient in. A summon will boost your abilities and the shift in Sage Mode will allow you to work together more efficiently with that summon.”_**

_“Huh. You have a point,”_ Hikari mused. Combo techniques with Gamakichi had been a lot easier once she had mastered Senjutsu. _“Let’s shelve this for later. Right now I need to beat up that failure of a summoning beast.”_

Hikari opened her eyes in the real world, just in time as the chrysalis started to crack. Kakashi leapt down once the beast began to emerge from the shell, drawing kunai with explosive tags attached to them. “What’s the verdict, Hikari?”

“I can use the Rasenshuriken but we’ve only got one shot,” she reported, eyes trained on the now roaring beast. More voices started to echo in the cave and blue eyes widened in realization. “The other creatures! They tried to help before but ended up being eaten! We can’t let that happen!”

If the Ultimate Summoning Beast gained more abilities, it was going to be a pain to deal with.

“Can you use your Kage Bunshin to herd them away?”

“Maybe…”

Twenty clones popped into existence and dashed away towards the opening. Shouts and screeches followed once they disappeared from sight but none of the monsters came in, letting Kakashi and Hikari know that their idea was working.

“What’s the plan, Kashi-nii?”

“Hide your presence and prepare your jutsu,” Kakashi ordered, throwing a kunai at the beast when it turned in their direction. The beast let out a deafening screech at the explosion, making the two humans wince. “I’ll draw it towards the opening; when I give the signal, you come in.”

“Got it!”

Kakashi eyed the beast as he ran halfway towards the opening, throwing another kunai to get its attention. Just as expected, it shifted its gaze to him, completely ignoring Hikari who darted further into the shadows. Lightning crackled and hurtled at him, making the teen run up the wall to dodge it.

_‘I see why it was called ‘ultimate’; it can use shinobi techniques easily.’_

Running to avoid the lightning snapping at his heels, Kakashi threw another kunai at the beast’s eye when he noticed it start to glow. _‘Genjutsu this time,’_ he thought. _‘If Hikari hadn’t warned me, I wouldn’t have prepared for such techniques.’_

The beast roared in pain and sent tentacle-like appendages at him, making the teen curse and flip to dodge them. But his constant movement served the purpose of making the beast follow him, sending lightning and the tentacles after him in turns.

When they were about three-fourths of the way to the opening, Kakashi jumped to crouch upside down on the ceiling and yelled, “Hikari! Now!”

There was no verbal response but the sound of piercing winds filled the cavern. Hikari’s suppression and perception seals faded, revealing her holding up a blue sphere that had four points like a shuriken. Even far away, Kakashi could feel the sheer amount of chakra emanating from the jutsu.

One of the girl’s Kage Bunshin appeared at his side, using the Hiraishin seal that he still carried. “You might want to get out of range, Kashi-nii,” she said cheerfully, grabbing his forearm and triggering another Hiraishin. This time, they appeared next to the original.

“We’re ready, Boss!”

Hikari nodded, eyes focused on the beast that was still howling and heading towards the opening. She reared back, then threw the Rasenshuriken with full force. It swiftly crossed the distance and hit the beast, pushing it out the opening.

“Come on,” she said, dragging Kakashi with her as she ran to the opening. The two looked down, watching the Rasenshuriken expand before cutting the beast in two and exploding. Kakashi pulled his hitai-ate up, looking at the swirling vortex of chakra with his Sharingan.

“Is that-?”

“Tons of microscopic wind blades,” Hikari finished, cheering when the beast fell into the lava and let out a final screech of pain before sinking. “Tsunade-baa-chan said that it destroys the chakra network and prevents the victim from using chakra ever again.”

Kakashi blanched and inched away from her, “I don’t want to be on the receiving side of that. _Ever_.”

Hikari laughed, shaking her head. “It’s one of my favorite jutsu but I won’t use it often since it could be connected to the Rasengan. Also it’s too powerful to use against the average shinobi.”

A shimmer in the air next to them made Kakashi and Hikari turn to see Honoka appear. She looked down into the volcano, a relieved expression crossing her face when she saw that the beast was dead. Directing her gaze back to the two of them, she bowed low in gratitude.

“You can rest in peace now, Honoka-san,” Hikari said softly, her smile matching the one Honoka gave, tinged with both sadness and relief. The spirit began to glow, shattering into gold flecks that dissipated in the air.

One last thought echoed in the remaining humans’ minds.

_“Thank you.”_

* * *

Kakashi and Hikari were back in the abandoned research facility, combing every nook and cranny for the remnants of the research. Should someone find it and get it into their heads to recreate the experiment, there was no telling what kind of damage it could cause.

A box in the corner caught Kakashi’s attention and he moved to pick it up. Opening it, he found three thick scrolls inside. “Hikari,” he yelled. “Come here for a second!”

Thuds sounded above his head, followed by running footsteps. Hikari appeared at the doorway of the room he was in half a minute later, curiosity in her features. “What is it, Kashi-nii?”

He gestured to the box, “Can you tell what these scrolls are for?”

Hikari plopped down on the floor next to the Hatake, taking one of the scrolls from the box. It was fairly large, about the length of her arm. There was no writing to help identify it nor could she open it. She stared at it, wondering where she had seen something similar.

“Wait…is this a summoning contract?”

That was it; it looked like the scroll Jiraiya had carried around, passed on to her after he died. The scroll in her hands looked a little more elegant than the Toad contract, with intricate patterns on the edges instead of the plain borders of the Toad contract.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her mumbling and dug into the box, checking to see if there was something else inside. He found a sheet of aged paper, most of the words having faded with time. “This says that they really are summoning contracts,” he said, skimming the contents of the paper. “Apparently, they couldn’t open or use them so they were stored in here.”

“Huh.”

“You should take them, Hikari.”

That jolted the girl out of the trance she had fallen into and she whipped around to stare at Kakashi. “Why me?”

Kakashi shrugged, getting to his feet and dumping the other two scrolls in the startled redhead’s lap. “I already have my ninken and don’t see the need for another contract. I’m going to check the other rooms now.”

Hikari watched him go blankly, then stared back at the three scrolls. “Might as well,” she muttered, sealing them in her bracelet.

The two of them rapidly went through the rest of the building, finding nothing else of worth. All of the research materials they had found were promptly burnt and the ashes scattered in the wind.

Their final act was to construct a memorial for the dead researchers; Kakashi’s Doton made swift work of that and there was a small stone slab with the names of the researchers that they were able to find engraved on it.

Kakashi and Hikari made their way out of the forest once they deemed their work done and offered their prayers for the dead. “That was quite the adventure, huh?” Hikari asked, grinning wide and bright.

“If by that you mean completely crazy, then yes,” Kakashi retorted blandly, wondering when this became his life.

Hikari pouted at the response. A wicked gleam entered her eyes making the ANBU edge away warily but she threw her arms around his waist in a tight grip.

“Next stop: Kusa!”

* * *

Manami stifled a whimper of pain as the man bit into her arm harshly and felt chakra drain from her body. It was a very uncomfortable experience and not something she preferred to do.

_‘For Karin’s sake, I’ll endure,’_ she repeated to herself, over and over in her mind. She had very little options; the Uzumaki were still hunted everywhere and there was no safety for them out in the open. In a village they were at least promised some measure of protection.

Zosui nodded approvingly when the man sucking her chakra stepped back, his injuries healed completely. “Two more days, Uzumaki, and then you will be given a house in the village. Provided that you heal our men whenever necessary.”

“I understand, Zosui-sama.”

Kusa had proposed a one-week time period as a trial, to see if Manami’s claims of her healing ability held up. For the time being, they had to fend for themselves in the forest but they were able to buy food with the little money they had.

Manami pulled her sleeves down to cover her arms, littered with bite marks. The scars were unlikely to ever disappear, what with how her body and chakra were surely to be taxed thanks to the agreement with Kusa.

If it weren’t for her daughter, there was no way she would ever comply with men like Zosui.

She stepped out of the hospital, keeping her head down and pulled out the little pouch of money she had. Wincing when she realized that it wouldn’t be enough for a decent meal, Manami resigned herself to stale bread for two days. It wouldn’t do to let Karin go hungry.

The main gates came into view and Manami walked out, ignoring the disdainful glares she got from the guards. She looked around, searching for her young daughter. Manami had absolutely refused to bring Karin with her to the hospital during the trial period, afraid that Zosui might realize that she too had healing chakra and try to exploit her.

“Karin?”

No answer.

Fear threatening to choke her, Manami turned back to the guards. “My daughter, where is she?!”

One of them looked down his nose at her, sneering. “How should I know? We only agreed to watch over her if she stayed near the gates. If she wandered off, that’s her own fault.”

“How could you! She’s just a child!”

“None of our business, woman! Get out of here!”

Manami bit back the enraged retorts at the tip of her tongue; instead, she turned around, intending to scour the entire forest for her little girl if she had to.

“Karin?! Karin, where are you?”

The Uzumaki woman ran through the forest, hoping to spot a glimpse of her daughter. _‘She couldn’t have gone far,’_ she thought, fear gripping her heart in a vice-like grip. _‘Oh, Karin, where did you go?’_

“Mom!”

Relief crashed over Manami in waves at the sound of her daughter’s voice, turning around just in time to catch the little redhead who came running at her. She fell to her knees, hugging Karin tightly to herself. A quick glance over the girl told her that there were no injuries or signs of stress.

Holding Karin gently by her shoulders, Manami asked, “Karin, where did you go? I told you to stay by the gates.”

“Sorry, mom,” the little girl wilted, eyes lowering to study the ground. “But the kids from the village took our stuff and threw them into the forest! I had to get them!”

“Oh, sweetheart…I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”

“It’s okay! I know mom loves me so I’m happy!” Karin smiled widely at her beloved mother. No matter what, her mother always took care of her and made sure that she felt safe. Recalling something from earlier, she brightened. “Mom, come with me!”

“Karin?”

Manami stumbled over her feet at her daughter’s enthusiastic actions but went along. “What is it?”

“I met two nice people! They helped get our stuff back!”

_‘What?’_

Manami knew that it was probably wrong of her to be suspicious of people she hadn’t even met but she couldn’t help being wary. Most strangers had never been good to them, either trying to take advantage of them or being outright cruel. So her suspicion was justified but for the sake of her daughter, she tried to keep an open mind.

Karin took them to a clearing in the forest and Manami used her grip on her daughter to pull her back a bit. She used the time to study the two; to her surprise, neither of them seemed to be older than twenty and the one wearing a hood appeared to be a child, going by their stature.

The only identifying feature on them was the Konoha hitai-ate worn by the boy.

“Oh, hey, Karin!” The one in the hood called cheerfully, voice giving them away as a girl. “Is that your mom?”

“Yes!” Karin replied just as happily, pulling her mother towards the two. “Mom, meet Hikari-san and Kakashi-san!”

“Nice to meet you,” Manami said cautiously, taking a seat next to the duo when no threatening moves were forthcoming. It appeared that they had been watching over her and Karin’s meagre belongings, dusting them off and packing them safely. “What does Konoha want with us?”

The silver-haired teen shook his head, pointing at the girl. “Not Konoha,” he replied blandly. “Rather this brat.”

“Hey! I’m not a brat!” The girl protested, shooing him off. “Don’t you have a mission, Kashi-nii? Get to it!”

Kakashi patted her head in a mocking manner and jumped away when she swiped at his hand. “Fine. I’ll be back in an hour. Uzumaki-san, Karin,” he said, inclining his head at the mother and daughter pair before vanishing.

“Show-off,” Hikari grumbled, glancing at the two bemused Uzumaki. In her world, she had not known Karin very well, the woman having died before they could bond over anything but their shared clan. But she remembered that she had lived in Kusa before being picked up by Orochimaru and had not liked her life there.

Hence, the trip to Kusa.

“Don’t worry, Uzumaki-san,” she said, smiling when the woman looked at her warily. “I’m here to help you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m offering you a place in Konoha, if you want it.”

Manami gaped, struck speechless at the words. It had been hard enough convincing Kusa to allow them to stay and now Konoha was offering them a place to live?

It sounded too good to be true.

“What’s the price?” she questioned, eyes narrowed and all the steel of a protective mother in her voice. If the conditions were going to be the same as Kusa then there was no point in accepting Konoha’s offer.

“Nothing?” Hikari blinked in confusion. While she could understand the mother’s worry for her daughter, there was no reason to be so hostile.

**_“Idiot,”_** Kurama facepalmed, morbidly awed by his Jinchuuriki’s obtuseness. **_“Drop the hood!”_**

_“Oh, right. Forgot about that.”_

“There really is no price, Uzumaki-san,” Hikari reassured, one hand rising to tug her hood down. “I’m an Uzumaki too.”

Manami stared at the newly revealed redhead, her long crimson locks spilling down her back and onto the grass. “You…”

“Mom,” Karin whispered, red eyes wide with admiration. “Her hair is just like ours!”

“I didn’t know there were other Uzumaki around,” Manami whispered, eyes still trained on Hikari’s hair. For years, she had never met another Uzumaki, her late husband being the only other one she had known except her daughter.

Hikari simply smiled, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and off the grass. “Not surprised. The only other Uzumaki I know is my adopted little brother. The red hair skipped him though; he looks more like his father. I joined Konoha a few months ago, after my parents were killed by bandits,” she said, sticking to the fake backstory. “I’m not going to force you to come with me. It’s just an option.”

Before Manami could reply, a growl cut through the air and she looked at her daughter. Karin’s face was bright red with embarrassment as she held her stomach. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Karin!” she exclaimed, pulling out the bread she had bought.

Hikari twitched, her keen sense of smell telling her that the bread was rather stale. _‘Kusa really isn’t forthcoming with aid. Selfish bastards.’_

Noticing Karin’s expression of distaste and resignation at the sight of the bread, she unsealed a box from her storage seal. “Hey, Karin,” she called, holding out the box when the little girl looked at her. “Have some of this.”

Karin took it hesitantly, looking at her mother for permission. She slowly opened the box, mouth watering at the sight of perfectly made onigiri. “Is it really okay…?”

“Yeah, eat up. I have more if needed.”

“Yay! Thank you, Hikari-san!”

Hikari smiled fondly, watching the child dig into the food with gusto. Feeling eyes on her, she raised her head to meet Manami’s teary gaze. “U-Uzumaki-san-!”

“Please, just Manami.”

“W-Well…Manami-san, what’s wrong?”

“It’s just…thank you.”

The seven-year-old shifted awkwardly, not quite sure what to make of the situation. “You’re welcome…? It’s just not right to let a child go hungry…Kusa is a real piece of work.”

Manami nodded, rubbing her arms as she recalled what they demanded of her. “I know but it is all I’ve got.”

Hikari’s eyes narrowed at the action and glancing at Karin to ensure that she was distracted, said in a low voice, “You have healing chakra, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes…” Manami startled, taken aback by the disgust she could see in those bright blue eyes. “Hikari-chan, what-?”

“I can’t guarantee you a very happy life in Konoha,” Hikari cut her off abruptly, expression dead serious. “There are a lot of people prejudiced against my little brother and they will definitely make your life hard. But there are also many who will support you and you can just ignore the idiots. So will you come with me to Konoha? Because I just can’t ignore what you _will_ go through in Kusa.”

The determined declaration took Manami by surprise but she held back on any immediate response to sort through what the girl had said. “Your brother?”

Hikari frowned but leant closer to whisper in the woman’s ear, “He’s the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi.”

Manami froze; while she might not have much knowledge of Fuuinjutsu, she could separate the kunai from the scroll. She held no ill will towards the boy but was able to understand why the villagers would hate him; the destruction the Kyuubi had wrought on Konoha was well-known.

But to place all the blame on the child…

Hikari sat back, expression still serious. “That’s a secret, Manami-san. You can’t tell anyone, not even to Karin.”

“I understand.”

“Okay…what else? The Hokage will be on your side, as will a lot of the clan heads. But there’s a person named Shimura Danzo, who will want you or Karin for your healing ability. He’s already trying to get me but I’m too much of a public figure, you see.”

“If we come to Konoha, will we be safe? No matter what, I cannot endanger Karin.”

“As expected of a mother,” Hikari grinned. She knew that Manami would understand what she had implied. If Hikari had known about the pair’s existence then there was no reason Danzo wouldn’t.

While he had not known in her original world, she wouldn’t exclude the possibility that he might go hunting for other Uzumaki if she couldn’t get her. And that would put Manami and Karin in the line of fire.

If Manami chose to follow Hikari to Konoha, she and Karin would be guaranteed the Hokage and a multitude of clan heads’ protection, which would be enough to keep Danzo away.

“Like I said, it won’t be perfect, but I swear to give Karin as much of a normal life as possible.”

Manami searched her expression for any signs of deceit but found none. There was only the promise of protection, a chance for more family. She finally smiled and nodded. “I accept your offer, Hikari-chan.”

Hikari beamed, joy lighting up her blue eyes as she cheered. Karin looked at them because of the noise and turned to her mother, “Mom, what is it?”

“We’re going to Konoha, sweetheart,” Manami told her daughter, pulling the little girl onto her lap.

“To Konoha? We don’t have to stay with the mean people?”

“Nope! You’re staying with me! How would you like a brother, Karin?”

Karin perked up, red eyes shining. “A brother?”

“He’s a few months younger than you but I’m sure you’ll get along great!”

The youngest Uzumaki practically demanded her mother, “Mom, Konoha! Let’s go there! I want to meet my brother!” She paused when something occurred to her and turned to Hikari. “Can I call you nee-san?”

“Of course, Karin.”

Hikari laughed and held out her arms when the three-year-old launched herself at the older girl, spinning Karin around and making her giggle in delight. Manami watched them fondly, thanking whichever deity had brought Hikari to them.

After a few minutes, Hikari set Karin down on her feet. “Manami-san, would you mind showing me your arms?”

The woman flinched but nodded, pulling up her sleeves. Karin sniffled at the sight of the bite marks on her beloved mother’s arms and wrapped herself around the woman’s middle. “Mom…”

“They’re disgusting, aren’t they?”

“Not at all,” Hikari replied gently, taking hold of Manami’s wrists. “They’re a sign of how much you love your daughter. But they were caused by the Kusa idiots; you don’t deserve to carry around a reminder of their cruelty.”

Activating her Yin-Yang Release, she channeled a little bit of her chakra into Manami’s body, directing the chakra to heal only the bitemarks and not touch anything else. It wasn’t necessary and the woman’s own chakra would heal anything else.

“A special ability of mine,” Hikari winked when Manami stared at her unblemished arms in wonder. The girl stood up, sensing Kakashi’s approach. “Are you ready, Manami-san? We should leave for Konoha as soon as possible.”

“Ah…yes.”

Manami glanced in the direction of Kusa, internally debating whether she should inform them of her decision to cancel their agreement. Eventually she decided against it, not wanting to deal with the complaints they would definitely make. They didn’t treat her as human and she was more than willing to return the sentiment.

Kakashi dropped into the clearing at that exact moment, raising an eyebrow in question at Hikari. “They’re coming with us,” the latter replied and he nodded in understanding. “I can Hiraishin everyone to Konoha, but far enough from the village to pretend that you walked there.”

She threw him a storage scroll, directing him to seal away the mother-daughter pair’s belongings. While he was doing that, Hikari spoke to the other Uzumaki.

“I’ll be using a technique that will take us about a couple miles away from Konoha. I can’t come with you after that, I’m technically supposed to be in Konoha right now.”

Karin looked confused, “Why?”

“Coming to get you was a secret; only Kashi-nii, the Hokage and one other person knew that I was going. I left behind a clone so that no one figured out my absence.”

“Is it because of that Shimura person?” Manami asked, a little worried. “You mentioned that he isn’t a good person.”

“Yeah. So we’re going with the story that Kashi-nii found you and offered to bring you to Konoha on my behalf.” Hikari knelt to be on the same level as Karin, “Karin, when you get to Konoha, don’t say anything about me, okay? This will be a little secret between us.”

The little redhead nodded seriously, the expression looking adorable on her young face. “I promise!”

“That’s a good girl.”

Straightening, Hikari placed a hand on Manami’s shoulder and held out her free hand to Kakashi, who took it without question.

The four were gone the next second, nothing in the clearing indicating that they were even there.

* * *

Manami shifted Karin in her arms; the girl had fallen asleep on the walk to Konoha, which was a good thing. It meant that not much attention would be paid to her.

“Don’t worry, Manami-san,” Kakashi spoke up, next to her. “Hikari would have sent a message to Hokage-sama by now. Once I report in at the guard station, I’ll take you directly to him. After that, you can go to Hikari’s house.”

“Will you be escorting us the whole way, Kakashi-kun?”

“Yes. At this stage, there are very few people we can trust with your safety. That will change soon but it’s better to be careful.”

Twenty minutes later the trio stood in front of the gates of Konoha. Manami was slightly intimidated by the sheer size of the village, but hurriedly followed Kakashi.

At the guard station, Izumo grinned at the Hatake. “Welcome back, Kakashi-san. Surprised to see you at the gates, though. Don’t you always report directly to Sandaime-sama?”

Kakashi shrugged and pointed behind them. “I came this way for their sake.”

“Huh?”

“Are they _Uzumaki_?” Kotetsu gaped; the Uzumaki clan was said to be almost extinct but in front of him were two, not even half a year after their first redhead.

“Yeah. I found them near Kusa.”

Izumo got it and grinned wider. “For Hikari-chan, huh?” he teased the older teen. He looked at the woman and bowed, “Welcome to Konoha, Uzumaki-san! We hope you’ll find a home here.”

Manami gave a weak, but no less sincere, smile. “Thank you, shinobi-san.”

The day had been long and confusing for her, going from facing a dreadful future in Kusa to a happier one in Konoha, with an added bonus of two new family members.

Thankfully for her muddled state, Kakashi swiftly completed the necessary procedures to allow her and Karin entry to the village. In what seemed like no time at all, she was standing in front of the Hokage’s office and the silver haired teen was knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

Kakashi opened the door and gestured for her to go in first, which Manami did hesitantly. An aged man was seated behind a large desk, giving her a warm look. Next to him was another man with a spiky ponytail.

“Manami-san, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the Jounin Commander, Nara Shikaku,” Kakashi introduced, gently herding the woman to a chair. “Hokage-sama, Nara-sama, this is Uzumaki Manami and her daughter, Karin.”

“Welcome to Konoha, Uzumaki-san,” Hiruzen greeted with a genial smile. “I trust your journey was safe?”

“Y-Yes, Hokage-sama,” Manami stuttered for a moment before reaching for her confidence and composure. “Thank you for granting us a place in your village. You have my gratitude.”

Shikaku gave a lazy smirk at that. “Direct that to the resident redhead,” he told the confused woman. “Hikari’s the one who insisted that we find you. Get an idea into her brain and she can out-stubborn anyone in the world. And don’t worry; there’s a privacy seal in here. No need to watch your words.”

“I see…”

Hiruzen interrupted at the point, sharp gaze focused on Manami. “Uzumaki-san, what did Hikari-chan tell you?”

Manami straightened, her own expression turning serious as well. “She spoke about her brother,” she gave the men a significant look at that and when they nodded with twin grimaces that spoke of regret, she continued, “and about a man named Shimura Danzo who would want my daughter and myself for his own purposes.

“Yet you chose to come to Konoha?” Shikaku queried lightly, but his dark eyes held a multitude of questions.

“Yes,” the Uzumaki woman answered in a determined tone. “I weighed both Kusa and Konoha’s offers and chose what was best for my daughter. For her sake, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”

She paused, a helpless smile curling her mouth. “And…there’s something about Hikari-chan that makes you want to believe her. To trust in her. I realize that she’s young, but…Also, she’s family.” Manami looked down at her sleeping daughter, stroking her hair in a soothing manner. “She promised to protect us and I believe that she will.”

The meeting with the Hokage done with, Kakashi led Manami and a now awake Karin to Hikari’s house after getting all the necessary paperwork proclaiming the two Uzumaki as citizens of Konoha.

“Hikari-chan lives far from the main part of the village,” Manami noted, taking in the single large house surrounded by lots of open space and trees. “It’s peaceful.”

“She chose this place to get away from the villagers,” Kakashi replied in a meaningful tone and she understood. Hikari wanted to keep her little brother away from the irrational hatred of the village. Manami approved; it would give the boy space to grow up in a relatively normal environment.

_‘Would he like us?’_ she thought as Kakashi opened the door and stepped inside. “Don’t you have to knock?”

The teen shook his head. “I live here too.” The easily spoken words took Kakashi himself by surprise; it was one thing to admit it to himself and another to say it to someone else. Huh, living with Naruto and Hikari sure had helped him a lot.

Soft footsteps were the only warning Kakashi got before a yellow and orange blur slammed into his legs, making him stumble a little. “Kashi-nii!” Naruto giggled, raising his arms for a hug. “Welcome home!”

Warmth bloomed in Kakashi’s chest at the words, the wonder at having a _home_ to return to never becoming old. “I’m home,” he replied with an eye smile. He picked the boy up and turned around, letting him see the two newcomers.

It was proof of his growth that Naruto didn’t flinch away from the strangers, instead watching them curiously. “Kashi-nii,” he whispered, “they have hair like nee-san!”

That was the cue for Manami, who picked up Karin to be at eye level with the other child. “Hello,” she said, nerves coloring her voice. “My name is Uzumaki Manami and this is my daughter, Karin.”

Blue eyes widened at the familiar surname and Naruto tilted his head back to stare at Kakashi. “Kashi-nii..?”

“It’s alright, Naru-chan.” Hikari’s voice came from inside the house before she appeared at the Hatake’s right. “They’re family.”

To the two wide-eyed Uzumaki standing on her doorstep, Hikari directed a soft smile, warmth visible in her blue eyes and in her expression.

“Manami-san, Karin…welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you who were wanting more Uzumaki, what do you think?  
> Was it satisfactory?
> 
> Posted: 11/09/2020


	15. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shisui and Itachi get a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone.  
> I apologize for the really late update.  
> This chapter didn't cooperate with me and it took a while to finish (especially since I've been working almost 14 hours per day).  
> I also feel that it's a little messy but I hope that's fine.
> 
> Have fun reading!
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Shisui was sulking.

He could admit that to himself and he knew very well that Itachi had noticed but the other boy didn’t call him out on it. It really wasn’t a serious thing that he was brooding over but it was kind of important to him.

With a sigh, Shisui threw the kunai in his hands at the targets, not even bothering to check if they hit. He knew very well that all of them would have hit dead-center. Readying another set of kunai, the boy closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the moving targets he had set up. Before he could throw the weapons though, he was distracted by a voice calling out to him.

“Shisui-nii!”

The boy blinked and turned, seeing Sasuke running towards him and waving his arms with a wide grin. Itachi was following him at a sedate pace, one eyebrow raised at Shisui with an expression of judgement that the older Uchiha averted his gaze from.

Instead he crouched down, grabbing Sasuke and spinning him around when the boy reached him. “Well, if it isn’t my itty bitty cousin!” he declared, laughing when the little boy pouted. “What brings you here?”

“Don’t call me that!” the youngest Uchiha scowled, but it only looked adorable on his face, making Shisui laugh harder. “I want to go play with Naru and Nii-san said to get you too!”

 _That_ was not what Shisui was expecting.

Shisui pursed his lips, frowning at Itachi who simply stared back. The eight-year-old didn’t back down, expression hard and unrelenting. “Sasuke, why don’t you go check the targets while I convince Shisui?”

“Okay, Nii-san!”

Sasuke ran off at his brother’s request, more interested in the kunai practice Shisui had been doing than the older boys’ conversation. It didn’t take long for him to get immersed, darting from target to target to see how the various kunai had struck them.

“When are you going to stop being an idiot?” Itachi asked quietly, glancing at his best friend from the corner of his eye. The older boy didn’t give any reaction to the accusation except a miniscule twitch and he replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar.”

“No, really!”

Itachi’s eyebrow rose higher at the vehement denial, knowing for sure that Shisui was sulking for some reason. He had his suspicions but didn’t feel the need to voice them.

“Stop looking at me like that!”

“Stop being an idiot then.”

“Itachi!”

Whining in complaint when his friend did not back down, Shisui slumped, shoulders dipping as he finally revealed what had been on his mind for the past few days. “The last time we visited Hikari-chan…”

“What about it?” Itachi prompted when Shisui trailed off.

“She wasn’t really there. It was a Kage Bunshin.”

“I know.”

“Huh?” Shisui turned to look at the Genin, confused at the nonchalant response. “You knew?”

Itachi shrugged slightly and nodded. “She wasn’t trying too hard to hide it.”

Perhaps not to any casual observer but the two Uchiha knew the female Uzumaki well enough to pick out tiny discrepancies that people would normally miss. It wasn’t anything big; just little things like how much care she took when moving, being careful not to hit anything or use too much chakra.

Add those up and you get the typical behavior of a Kage Bunshin trying not to dispel.

“And you’re not mad about it?” Shisui stared, not quite comprehending what he was hearing. The first thought that had occurred to him when he realized that he had been interacting with Hikari’s Kage Bunshin for almost three days was _‘She doesn’t trust me’_.

It was completely irrational and stupid, but it still made him avoid the Uzumaki for a while. But seeing Itachi so nonchalant was rather jarring.

“Of course not,” Itachi answered easily. He too had picked up on the substitution around the time his friend had but hadn’t been too bothered by it. “You do realize that if she didn’t want us to know, we wouldn’t. Hikari is better at acting than that.”

And…

It was the truth.

For all that Hikari was younger than Itachi, she knew how to deflect and divert attention better than anyone Shisui had known. If he hadn’t known what he did about the girl, he would have believed the façade of an innocent little girl that she portrayed.

“I am an _idiot_.”

“Yes, you are,” Itachi replied serenely, watching his little brother like a hawk now that he had gotten the older boy to see sense.

Shisui gave him the stink eye, grumbling, “You’re supposed to refute that, not agree with me!”

“Why argue against the truth?”

Fifteen minutes later saw the three Uchiha boys in front of the Uzumaki house, Sasuke impatiently pulling them to the door. “Come on! You’re so slow!”

“We don’t even know if Naruto is home, midget,” Shisui shot back drily, holding back the amusement he felt at seeing the three-year-old’s frustration. It was rather adorable; it wasn’t only the blond kid that Sasuke liked, having met the Hyuuga kids and the Nara heir, but Naruto was the one he could visit easily.

Sasuke pouted, crossing his arms to show his displeasure at his cousin’s comment. “Not a midget!”

“Oh? You barely come up to my hip, pipsqueak.”

“Not true!”

Itachi slipped past the bickering pair, ignoring them with the ease of someone who had been witness to their arguments multiple times. He knocked on the door lightly, absently wondering why Hikari had not come out yet. She certainly would have sensed them long ago.

“Coming!”

An unfamiliar voice called out from inside, making the Uchiha Heir blink in confusion. Shisui and Sasuke’s argument abruptly cut off the instant the door opened, all three boys looking at the stranger who had answered.

Straight, chin-length hair framed the face of the woman; she was fairly tall with pale skin but what caught their attention was the color of her hair.

It was a bright red, a couple of shades lighter than the Uzumaki they knew.

“Can I help you boys?”

Recovering rapidly from the unexpected encounter, Itachi politely replied, “We’re here to see Uzumaki Hikari and Naruto.” If the woman was comfortable enough to answer the door, then she was likely a new addition to the Uzumaki household.

That hair was a dead giveaway, after all.

* * *

Manami took in the little group at the door, almost instantly identifying them as some of Hikari’s friends. It was the first time she had met them but the younger redhead had described their appearances; they were the Uchiha boys Hikari had spoken of.

Just to confirm her conclusions, Manami asked, “I guess the three of you are Uchiha? Hikari-chan has mentioned you.”

“Yes,” the boy in front of her nodded, introducing himself and the other two in short order. She smiled; the one named Itachi was just as polite as she had been told. Opening the door wider, Manami stepped to the side, “Please, come in.”

The boys did as told, removing their sandals before stepping further into the house. “I’m Uzumaki Manami,” she offered as she led them to the living room. “Just Manami is fine or else we’ll be confused by all the Uzumaki in the house!”

“We have, what, three now?” Shisui said with a grin. He liked the woman; no doubt she was a relative of Hikari, no matter how distant. “That would definitely be confusing!”

“Four, actually,” Manami corrected, smiling when the boys looked confused. “I have a daughter, Karin. She’s around the same age as Sasuke-kun here.”

Perking up at his name, the youngest Uchiha looked around his brother at the red-haired woman. “Is Naru here?”

“Yes, he’s in his room if you want to see him…?”

“Yeah!”

With that Sasuke dashed off, obviously knowing where the blond Uzumaki’s room was, judging by how sure his steps were. The sound of a door being thrown open was heard shortly, followed by childish squealing when Naruto realized who the sudden intruder was.

“I do hope Sasuke-kun will get along with Karin…” Manami murmured anxiously, twisting her fingers as she looked up in the direction of the young voices. Her daughter had taken to Naruto quickly, bolstered by Hikari’s assurances and the boy’s own vivacious personality. But she wasn’t sure how Karin would react to more strangers.

“I wouldn’t worry,” Shisui replied cheerfully, rocking back on his heels. “If Naruto likes someone, they’re alright in Sasuke’s books, at least until he gets to know them for himself. Pretty sure they’ll all be great friends in no time.”

That made the woman smile and Shisui took it as a win. “Uh…if you don’t mind me asking, when did you…?”

“When did I come to Konoha?” Manami completed when the boy trailed off, continuing when he nodded, “Two days ago. Kakashi-kun…he found me and my daughter on his mission and offered to bring us to Konoha. He said that he was doing it for a friend.”

Perfectly believable and coincidental.

Both Shisui and Itachi knew how protective the ANBU captain was of Hikari and Naruto; no one would put it past him to drag possible family members to the village. Of course, after thoroughly vetting them and ensuring that they weren’t a danger but yes, definitely possible.

Itachi realized almost instantly that it was a cover story that they had been told. A secretive glance to his right told him that his cousin had picked up on it too. Neither of them showed any indication of their realization, understanding that there was probably something else at play.

Manami didn’t notice or simply ignored the boys’ non-reaction, clasping her hands together as she offered them a small smile. “Would you like something to drink? Water or tea?”

“No, thank you, Manami-san,” Itachi shook his head, answering for the both of them. “Is Hikari around? We came to see her.”

“Oh, alright. She should be somewhere in the forest right behind the house. Something about chakra training with Kakashi-kun?”

* * *

He was dying.

Kakashi bit back a groan of pain as he dodged yet another fireball, hands flickering through the signs for a water jutsu to counter the next fireball. _‘I knew that Hikari is a chakra monster but to spam jutsu like this for hours is insane!’_

True to her promise, Hikari had pounced on the silver-haired teen as soon as he had had some free time and dragged him off to help him increase his chakra reserves.

_‘And I thought Gai did the training from hell.’_

Cursing rather colorfully but thankfully only within his head, Kakashi flipped out of the way of a wind blade, wincing when his muscles screamed at the abuse he was inflicting on them. There was no other choice though; he had learnt from experience that there was no blocking Hikari’s wind blades.

That girl was scarily good with Fuuton jutsu.

He caught her scent on the downward wind and despite knowing that it was likely to be a trap, Kakashi sent a fireball in her direction followed by a wind blade of his own while darting backwards simultaneously. The attack was meant to be a distraction; he knew that he had no chance of winning a ninjutsu battle against Hikari. His chakra reserves were already running low and he was teetering on the edge of chakra exhaustion.

Before the fireball enhanced by the wind blade could do more than burn a few trees, a wave of water came from nowhere and extinguished the flames. “Not good,” Kakashi muttered to himself, eyeing the direction where the water had come from for a glimpse of the redhead.

As expected, Hikari casually walked into view, hands clasped behind her back as she grinned at him. Her white shirt didn’t have a speck of dirt on it and her dark pants weren’t dusty at all. The twin tails she had pulled her hair into were still pristine, Kakashi noticed with a twinge of jealousy. He himself was bruised and dirty, like he had rolled around in a muddy pool with a bear.

“That’s enough,” Hikari called, waving a hand at him. “I’m calling it!”

Kakashi dropped to the ground with a groan, staring up at the midday sky. “What were you even thinking? Pitching me in a ninjutsu battle against you is insane!”

“Why?”

The girl leant over him, her head blocking the sun from the Hatake’s face. He scowled at her, not that it was visible thanks to his mask, but she evidently noticed it, judging by the amusement glittering in her eyes. “You have more chakra than I could ever have and probably more battle experience. I was never going to win against you.”

Hikari snorted, straightening before taking a seat next to the teen. “I know,” she said so matter-of-factly that Kakashi had to do a double take. “That wasn’t the point of this spar.”

“Then what was?”

“Making you learn your limits when it comes to your chakra reserves.”

Kakashi stared.

“I already know that.”

A crimson eyebrow rose in challenge, Hikari retorting, “Really? Perhaps when you’re planning out everything in advance, like in a mission. But what about in a surprise battle, where you don’t know the full strength of your opponent? If you really knew your limits, as you claimed, you should have been able to hold out against me for another hour.”

Rapidly analyzing the earlier fight, Kakashi had to admit she was right.

He had been given no warning when Hikari had started the spar, simply mentioning that he wasn’t allowed to use his Sharingan and that it was a ninjutsu only fight. Since he had known he was no match for her in a long drawn out battle, he had used some of the more chakra draining techniques in his repertoire first, hoping to take her down quickly.

But Hikari had clearly anticipated that, simply increasing the distance between them to make it hard for Kakashi, since most of his strongest techniques were close range.

They had been sparring for almost three hours.

If he had kept his cool and truly known his limits, Kakashi would have held out longer.

The teen huffed, acknowledging her point. “So what would knowing my limits do?”

“For starters, it would stop you from being reckless.”

“Hikari.”

“Ugh, fine! You’re no fun.”

Hikari threw her hands up in exasperation, hopping to her feet. “Sit up, Kashi-nii,” she requested, moving to stand at his back when he did so. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she explained, “Next part of training is to _know_ your chakra. I’ll show you what you need to do.”

Channeling her chakra, she sent it flowing through the Hatake’s chakra network, from one tenketsu to another, slowly but consciously. “You feel that?” she murmured softly, feeling the teen stiffen under her hands and give a sharp nod. “That’s how your chakra flows. I’m using mine to let you know how it feels.”

Hikari withdrew, now shifting to stand in front of Kakashi. “Now you’re going to focus on your chakra yourself, making it flow just like that, but consciously. Most shinobi know how to channel their chakra and use it for various purposes but they have forgotten how vital it is to _know_ it.”

Curiosity piqued, Kakashi asked, “To calculate how much chakra to put it into a jutsu to maximize its efficiency?”

“I knew you were a genius for a reason.”

“How’d you even come up with this method?”

“Not me,” Hikari shook her head, recalling some memories of her former world. Eyes going distant, she spoke, “I have no need for this training. It was Sakura who came up with it; she had the least chakra reserves out of most of us but the best control. She had trained under Tsunade-baa-chan for three years and had learnt to use the Byakugo.”

She smiled wistfully, remembering the first time Sakura had activated the power of the seal. “Sakura was really smart, finding a way to overcome the disadvantage of the Byakugo on her own. Still, she didn’t have the time to store very huge amounts of chakra needed for a long war and her chakra was eventually drained after healing so many people.”

Kakashi listened quietly, not interrupting even a single time. It was a little surreal to hear about the team his counterpart had trained and sometimes he wondered if he would have the same team if he ever became a Genin instructor.

Hikari continued speaking, “Sakura realized that she had to expand her reserves if she wanted to continue as she did. Experimenting with her chakra lead to the formation of this method: channel your chakra throughout your body in a conscious manner, allowing you to understand it better, while also gradually expanding your reserves.”

“That sounded like you quoted something verbatim.”

The redhead let out a startled laugh, shaking her head and then grinning at the silver-haired teen. “Course I did; who knows how many times Sakura yelled it at me!”

Kakashi let out a chuckle of his own, crossing his legs as he shifted into a meditative pose. “So it’s basically meditation on a deeper level?”

“Yeah. Now that you know your limit and how your chakra is supposed to feel, you can continue the training on your own. Only twenty minutes for today though, Kashi-nii,” Hikari warned lightly, but there was a serious look in her eyes. “You’re low on chakra and there’s no need to drive yourself towards exhaustion.”

“Right.”

Meditation made more sense now that he knew why it was vital and Kakashi resolved to do it every day. “Hey, Hikari?”

“Hmm?”

“How much can I expect my reserves to increase?”

“Oh…about double?”

“Double?!”

Snickering at the dumbstruck expression on the visible part of the ANBU’s face, Hikari nodded. It was the best part of the training, or well, meditation. Simply knowing your chakra and channeling it throughout your body consciously went a long way in increasing your chakra reserves.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.”

“Where are you going?”

“I sense Shisui and Itachi coming this way; guess they’re looking for me. You can go back after meditating for twenty minutes, Kashi-nii.”

“Fine.”

“Also, we’ll have another spar like this next week, with your Sharingan.”

“Sage, why?!”

The sound of cackling followed the groans of despair.

* * *

Shisui whistled at the destruction around them; it wasn’t terrible, per se, but the area was littered with tons of broken branches, there were deep gouges on the trunks of some trees and many places were burnt or at least singed.

“What happened here?”

“Ninjutsu spar,” came the reply, Hikari dropping down from one of the trees to their left. She greeted them with a smile, so wide and happy that it made Shisui squirm with guilt. He lowered his head in a deep bow, startling the girl.

“I’m really sorry, Hikari-chan!”

“Eh…ah…what for?”

“For being stupid and avoiding you for some time lately.”

Hikari blinked, head tilted to the side as she processed that. Scratching her cheek with a finger, she replied quietly, “Ah. So I wasn’t imagining that.”

Shisui winced at the self-depreciating tone he could hear in her voice and rapidly explained, “Not to shift the blame to you but I realized you were using a Kage Bunshin, for at least a few days and didn’t tell us why. I thought you didn’t trust me…I should have been like Itachi and waited for an explanation instead of jumping to conclusions.”

“Give me a minute to process that word vomit,” the redhead muttered, staring at the Uchiha blankly. At his side, Itachi stifled a chuckle. “Shisui was sulking, like an idiot.”

“Hey! Do you really need to keep repeating that, Itachi?!”

“Finally, something that makes sense,” Hikari muttered, running a hand down her face. Raising her gaze to meet the boys’, she said, “Honestly, I had thought you two would have noticed; my clone wasn’t really trying that hard to keep it a secret. And I’m the original, for your information.”

The last dry comment broke the awkward atmosphere and Shisui grinned. “Next time I’m being stupid, whack me over the head, okay?”

“I would, but that would scramble what’s left of that thing you call a brain.”

“Ouch, that’s harsh.”

Itachi finally cut in before they could devolve further into playful bickering, “Hikari, does your deception have something to do with Manami-san and Karin?”

The redhead didn’t quite tense but the boys could tell that her focus had sharpened. She closed her eyes, casting her senses around to double-check if ROOT was around. They weren’t, she wouldn’t have even been training with Kakashi in the area if they had been, but it wouldn’t hurt to be sure.

“Yes,” Hikari replied after a minute of silence. “I was planning to tell you if you had noticed my substitution but I didn’t expect you to ask about it outright. Sit down, it’s a long story.”

She told them how she had snuck out with Kakashi on his mission, knowing that Manami would likely have not believed the Hatake if he had approached her. It was also something she wanted to do in person for herself, to save as many of her clan as possible.

“Manami-san is the only one I had any information on,” Hikari admitted, twisting a lock of hair around her fingers. “I’ve heard rumors of Uzumaki in other places but nothing that can be confirmed.”

“I understand. Will you be seeking out any more people?” Itachi asked. He made a mental note to look for information on the Uzumaki clan during any future missions; honestly speaking, he didn’t expect much, considering how scattered the clan had become, with barely any survivors.

“If I hear anything concrete, yes. But I’m not holding out much hope. Not every redhead is an Uzumaki and vice versa.”

The only other Uzumaki she knew for certain was Nagato and he was someone she couldn’t confront yet.

“Hey, Hikari-chan?”

“Hmm?”

“Why aren’t you doing this stuff openly? Is it because of the people who were stalking you?”

Shisui had a valid point; someone who didn’t know about ROOT would definitely be curious as to why she was lurking around in the shadows to do what she wanted to. _‘I can’t tell them about ROOT yet,’_ Hikari thought. _‘Eventually, they will know but now’s not the time.’_

“Kind of,” she eventually answered. It wasn’t quite a lie; for all that she had made connections in the village, she was still an ordinary civilian by appearances. “There’ll be too many questions and unwanted attention which I wish to avoid.”

“I see. Is that why you didn’t tell us anything either?”

Hikari shook her head, giving the two Uchiha a lopsided smile. “Hardly. I trust you both to not pry; I simply didn’t want to put either of you in a position to be affected if something went wrong. Anyway, you can be assured that I’m not planning any more rescue missions for the time being. Unless, of course, if something comes up but you get the point.”

* * *

Lying on her back, Hikari stared upwards, gaze unseeing. Itachi and Shisui were sprawled out in a similar way, the three of them forming a sort of triangle. There was silence in the little clearing they were in, but it was peaceful.

 _‘I kind of feel bad for deceiving them,’_ the redhead thought. It was neither of their faults but she was itching to tell them everything. She held back though, knowing that it could possibly put them in danger if Danzo somehow got wind of the truth. Unlikely, since there were only three people who currently knew her origins and none of them would spill.

She still wanted Shisui and Itachi to be stronger first.

_‘Wait…’_

Hikari sat up, prompting the boys to do the same. Ignoring their questioning looks, she fiddled with her bracelet and pulled out three scrolls, placing them in the middle of the circle the kids had formed when they sat up.

“What are these?” Shisui asked, poking one of the scrolls warily.

“Summoning contracts,” she replied promptly, smiling when that got twin deadpan stares. It was rare enough for a person to have one contract, let alone three. “Remember what I told you about Summoning Island and Honoka-san? I found these there.”

“Was it fine for you to take them?” Itachi picked up one of the scrolls when the girl nodded, studying the tiny seals on the edges. “Don’t they belong to someone?”

“Doubt it. There was a note saying that the researchers weren’t able to open them let alone figure out what summons they were for.”

Shisui raised an eyebrow at her in question, chuckling when she huffed and nodded in response. “And you managed it, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, go on. Tell us why they couldn’t open them.”

“Do you know that almost all summoning animals require the summoner to pass a test before they let them sign? The test for these contracts is simply to perform the Kuchiyose no jutsu and see if we can summon anyone.”

Itachi blinked slowly, processing that before he looked down at the scroll in his hands. “That’s a little strange. Is there a reason for such an unusual test?”

Hikari shook her head. “I have no clue. I haven’t tried summoning them yet. My guess is that they judge your chakra and appear based on whether they like it or not.”

“I agree with Itachi; that’s plain weird,” Shisui stated flatly. He grabbed the scroll nearest to him, running a finger over the seals he could see. “So what animals are these for?”

“That one is for panthers,” she pointed at the scroll in Shisui’s hands. “Itachi has the contract for cats and this one,” she waved the last scroll, “is for foxes. Specifically, demon foxes.”

Neither boy reacted to the mention of demon foxes, making Hikari relax. She had tensed up subconsciously, brain feeding on her past memories when the citizens of Konoha abhorred and spat on anything even remotely related to foxes.

She had long since made up her mind to attempt a contract with the foxes, much to the pleasure of Kurama, the prideful idiot. Hikari had expected some form of backlash for her choice when she revealed it and seeing the two Uchiha hardly react was comforting.

“Huh. Aren’t all of them rather different?” Shisui said, squinting suspiciously at the scrolls. “Why would all three of them have the same test?”

“Panthers, a generic name for black colored felines, notably leopards and jaguars, are said to be part of the cat family, hence a connection to the Cat summons,” Itachi mused, a speculative gleam in his dark eyes. He didn’t miss the Uzumaki’s reaction at the mention of demon foxes but chalked it up to Konoha’s general prejudice towards foxes. “I don’t see why the foxes are connected, though.”

Hikari shrugged, unconcerned with whatever the reasoning might be. Summon animals weren’t quite the same as normal ones and for all the average human knew, they might have their own system. “No point in coming up with theories; we can just ask them if we succeed in summoning any of them.”

Silence.

“…we?”

“Yeah? I mean, unless you guys don’t want to?”

“Of course I want to!” Shisui exclaimed indignantly, crossing his arms as he stared at the nonchalant Uzumaki. He wondered if there would ever come a day when the redhead stopped throwing out surprises. Probably not. “But you’re giving out summoning contracts like candy! Who does that?”

Even Itachi nodded in agreement.

“First of all, I’m _not_ giving them out,” Hikari said pointedly, crossing her arms as well. The contracts weren’t technically hers, but she also knew that she shouldn’t give them to just anyone. “I’m merely giving you and Itachi a chance to see if they work for you. Second, summons of any type are useful to a shinobi and I know that you won’t misuse them. Third, if there is a possibility that they could answer you, then I’m only depriving them of a summoner if I hoard them.”

Itachi studied his friend for a moment then nodded, conceding to her logic. “Alright, but if we fail, please safeguard the contracts, Hikari. There are many who would covet them.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Alright, let’s give this a try then. Everyone knows the hand seals for the Kuchiyose?” Shisui asked, shifting to a kneeling position in front of his scroll and watching as the other two did the same. “On the count of three. One…”

“Two.”

“Three!”

Hikari finished the count, hands flickering through the required seals. She slammed her palms on the ground at the same time as Shisui and Itachi, all three of them calling out, “Kuchiyose no jutsu!”

A huge cloud of smoke covered the area, hiding everything from sight. Shisui waved his hand in front of him, trying to clear the air enough to see. “Did it work?”

“Perfectly, young man.”

The voice that replied held a deep baritone, obviously male. It seemed that at least one of them had succeeded.

“I believe it has been decades since we were summoned simultaneously,” a mature but amused female voice spoke this time followed by a younger female voice, “Quite fascinating, isn’t it? Our summoners this time are rather young too.”

Huh.

All three of them had succeeded.

The smoke finally cleared, courtesy of a low-powered Fuuton jutsu from Hikari. The three kids stared at the sight in the center of the circle they had formed, taking in the three summon animals.

A cat with black and white fur, slightly larger than a regular cat, sat primly in front of Itachi, watching the boy with sharp green eyes. “My name is Chika,” the cat said, voice giving her away as the last summon to have spoken.

“I am Isao,” a sleek black panther added, the masculine voice telling that he had been the one to have answered Shisui. Isao held himself in a regal manner, watching the boy in front of him rather solemnly. “Do close your mouth, child; it is rather unbecoming.”

“Don’t be too harsh on them, Isao,” the last summon, a fox with pure white fur, chided the panther, eight fluffy tails waving behind her. She eyed the only human who seemed completely at ease with the situation with curiosity, “You may call me Kikyo, young lady. And you are?”

“Uzumaki Hikari,” the redhead answered with a smile, sitting back on her haunches. “Nice to meet you, Kikyo.”

The cat, Chika, got up and circled Itachi once, sniffing him. “I like your scent,” she decided, jumping onto the boy’s shoulders and was delighted when he simply adjusted himself to handle the added weight. “What’s your name?”

“Uchiha Itachi, Chika-sama. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Oh, a polite one! I haven’t had many of those,” Chika purred, nosing Itachi’s cheek playfully. “Just Chika is fine, Itachi-kun.”

Shisui gulped, snapping out of his shock. Both Hikari and Itachi were getting along well with their summons while he had yet to speak. _‘Why do I have to get the stern-looking one?’_ he whined mentally, scrambling for what to say.

A white tail smacked the back of the panther’s head, eliciting an annoyed growl from him. “You’re scaring the poor child, Isao,” Kikyo told him sternly. “Be nicer if you don’t want to scare him away.”

That got a startled laugh from the older Uchiha and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly when all eyes focused on him. “Sorry, that reminded me of Hikari-chan.” Tension finally dissipating, Shisui sketched a short bow to the panther. “Pleased to meet you, Isao-sama. I am Uchiha Shisui.”

“Hmm. Are you scared of me, Shisui?”

“Uh, not really? You look really strict but I think you just have high expectations?”

The hesitant words earned a loud laugh from the panther, Isao getting up and draping himself over the startled boy’s legs. “Quite so. Don’t worry; you meet them. Your chakra is powerful and I sense that you have great potential. A worthy summoner.”

“…thank you, I guess?”

Hikari grinned at the poor befuddled Uchiha; the panther, a black leopard from what she could tell, was throwing him for a loop, shifting from acting like a stuck-up prince to a jovial one. “If you don’t mind me asking, what ranks are you all?”

It was Kikyo who answered, “All of us, we are the lead summons for our respective contracts.”

Silence fell, thick with shock.

“I was not expecting that,” Hikari said faintly. She recalled, back in her first life, summoning only tadpoles until she was thrown off a cliff. Summoning the lead fox was like a Genin becoming the Hokage.

Ah, wait.

She had done that too.

“There is nothing to be surprised about,” Isao stated, stretching languidly. “We chose our summoners based on their chakra and the three of you have extremely potent chakra. Especially you, young lady.”

“Huh…”

Itachi piped in at that instant, one hand stroking Chika’s back, “Does that mean you would have answered any of us?”

“Yes, Itachi-kun,” Chika replied, still draped over the boy’s shoulders. She was rather comfortable and Itachi was kind enough to indulge her without question, something she greatly appreciated. “I do want all of you.”

Kikyo bristled, hissing at the cat, “Hikari is mine, Chika. Paws off or else I will steal Itachi-kun from you!”

“I want the girl too,” Isao added, growling when both the fox and the cat snarled at him. “If you want Shisui then I have the right to demand Hikari as well!”

Hikari sweat-dropped at the ensuing quarrel. She edged around the snarling and yowling ball of fur to stand next to the two bewildered Uchiha. “Is it just me or are they acting like kids fighting for a rare toy?”

“Only that they are fighting for humans, not toys,” Shisui replied just as drily, watching the three animals swipe at each other. He knew that they weren’t serious, but he supposed that he was flattered that he was preferred by all three summons.

“Should we stop them?”

“Do you want to be ripped to shreds, Itachi?”

Sighing in exasperation, Hikari said, “He does have a point though. Even if we successfully summoned them, the contracts aren’t signed yet.”

The older Uchiha eyed the mess of black and white fur then looked at his friend, raising an eyebrow as if asking her how she was going to get the summons to stop fighting. A wide grin was his only answer, leaving him in the dark about her thoughts.

Although the glint in her blue eyes was familiar…

A loud clap echoed through the air followed up by, “That’s enough fighting!”

Now he remembered.

That was the tone Hikari used to rein in the kids whenever they were messing around, Itachi recognized with a smirk. She was treating the three summons like children. _‘I suppose they have given her reason to do so though.’_

Kikyo, Isao and Chika startled at the sound of the clap, breaking apart from the tangle of fur and limbs. “What was that?” the cat hissed, eyes darting about their surroundings.

“That,” Hikari replied pointedly, meeting each of the animals’ eyes undauntingly, “was me getting tired of your shenanigans.”

Surprisingly, they wilted at her words instead of bristling in indignation like Shisui had expected. He exchanged an amused glance with Itachi; leave it to Hikari to berate high-ranking summons like they were unruly children.

“But I really want you to sign my contract, Hikari-san,” Chika whined, darting away when Kikyo swiped at her with a snarled, “You have Itachi-kun who I also want, so don’t steal my summoner!”

Seeing Isao about to jump back into the argument, the redhead cut in, throwing her hands up in exasperation, “Fine! Then we’ll sign all your contracts! Happy?”

The rest of the occupants of the clearing froze, staring at her with wide eyes, the summons in disbelief at the absurdly simple solution while Shisui and Itachi stared in shock.

“Hikari,” Itachi called out to the girl, voice still colored with shock, “what are you saying? It’s rare enough to have one summoning contract, not to mention _three_.”

“I know. But think about it; all of them-” Hikari gestured with a hand towards the intently listening animals, “-have different abilities, which could come in handy for us. They get three summoners who they all like. Win-win.”

That was a rather simple and straightforward way of looking at the situation but it was also the one that made the most sense. Of course, it was likely that both summoner and summon would work mainly with the one they had the most connection to, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t play off the others’ strengths either.

Isao spoke up, a satisfied expression on his face, “I agree with the young lady. It has been decades since I’ve had a single summoner and I know that my cubs would prefer to meet as many humans as possible, since we now have the chance.”

It would also give the summons more chances for finding potential summoners in the future, as rare as those who met their criteria were.

Not wanting to be left out, Chika and Kikyo chimed in their agreements as well, the cat even going so far as to drag the Cat summoning contract towards the human children. “Come on, Itachi-kun! I want you to sign first!”

Bemused but willing to go with the flow, the younger Uchiha took the scroll from the cat. Following Chika’s instructions he channeled a small amount of his chakra into it, allowing him to open it. Itachi studied the contents, noticing that there were only four signatures.

_‘So only four people have held the Cat contract before.’_

A quick glance around told him that Shisui and Hikari were doing the same; the Panther contract also had four signatures while the Fox contract had an even smaller number: only two.

Following his line of sight, Chika noticed the boy’s attention on the Fox contract. “Ah. Curious about why there were so few Fox summoners? It’s mainly because they’re _demon_ foxes. Not many people wanted to sign the contract despite being compatible.”

“Why?”

“It’s because of the Kyuubi no Kitsune,” Kikyo answered instead. The white eight-tailed fox rubbed her head against Hikari’s cheek affectionately, making the girl giggle and run a hand through her fur. “Although we have no real connection to Kyuubi-sama, people associate us with him. We also respect Kyuubi-sama very much which leads to a low tolerance for prejudice.”

“Wait, wait; you don’t know if we also hold the same attitude but you’re allowing us to sign?” Shisui interrupted, having listened in on the conversation. He had already signed the Panther contract, passing it to Hikari. “Isn’t that bad for you?”

“Just because we don’t have a summoner doesn’t mean we don’t know what happens on this plane,” Kikyo smirked, pushing the Fox contract towards Itachi with her paw. “I’ve been watching Hikari ever since she picked up our contract. I admit that I don’t know much about you boys but I trust her judgement.”

“Besides, they can just cancel the contract whenever they want,” Hikari added, signing the Cat contract with a flourish before rolling it up and collecting the other two scrolls when Itachi and Shisui handed them to her. She cocked her head to the side in thought, frowning at the scrolls.

“I’m guessing that Shisui will have the Panther summons and Itachi the Cat summons as your primaries…so wouldn’t it make sense for you guys to hold onto the contracts?”

Shisui shook his head. Considering the missions he went on and the training he would have to do to incorporate his newly acquired summons into his fighting style, there was no doubt that word would spread quickly. The draw of a rare summoning contract would definitely bring him trouble in the form of entitled people demanding that he let them sign it.

He said as much to the others, Itachi continuing with a faint grimace, “Not to mention the Uchiha Elders. Even if the other clansmen don’t take much interest, the Elders definitely will. If we have the contracts in our possession, they will demand that we hand them over to the clan.”

Isao sniffed, turning his nose up with an air of disdain. Even if it was the Fox summons that held the record for the least number of summoners, the Panthers were even more picky when it came to choosing theirs.

He certainly didn’t want fools with unpleasant chakra and even worse attitudes trying to boss him and his fellows summons around.

“So you’re offering me up,” Hikari said drily, rolling her eyes when Shisui’s expression turned sheepish and Itachi smirked. “I’m totally feeling the love here.”

“Hey, you told even the _Hokage’s Advisors_ to go to hell; the Uchiha Elders will barely be a blip on your radar.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to deal with them because _you_ don’t want to.” The Uzumaki sighed, relenting as the others had expected and sealing the three scrolls back into her bracelet. “Fine, fine. I’ll keep them safe.”

The three summons perked up at the end of the current line of conversation and stood. When the humans turned curious gazes upon them, Isao explained, “Let us spar, children. I want to know the range of your capabilities and I believe you feel the same about us as well.”

Hikari, Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances then turned to look at the animals in unison, identical expressions of mischief appearing on their faces. “Why not?” the redhead smirked, raising an eyebrow in challenge. “Should be fun.”

* * *

Kakashi watched as Hikari sent off the three Uchiha, contemplating the events of the past few hours. The little snippets of conversation he had caught told him that Shisui and Itachi knew that she had been the one to bring Manami and Karin to Konoha. That little fact was rather revealing; it showed that Hikari trusted the boys, considering how vicious she was in her protectiveness towards the other Uzumaki.

That wasn’t all, either.

When the Hatake had surfaced from his meditation, he had gone to investigate the sounds of fighting he had heard from deeper in the forest. Kakashi had been rather shocked when a black panther almost flattened him, the feline barely skidding to a stop in front of him before chasing after a cackling Shisui with a snarl, not missing a beat.

Not to mention the cat and the _eight-tailed fox._

Further observation had revealed that the three animals were actually summons, from the three scrolls Hikari had found on Summoning Island.

Kakashi had waved off the offer to attempt the summoning when Hikari had approached him a few days ago. He hadn’t felt the need for it, his dogs being sufficient for him.

Seeing the abilities of the fox, panther and cat had only solidified his choice; Kikyo, Isao and Chika were certainly powerful but he had the feeling he wouldn’t be able to keep up with any of them.

But the point was that Hikari trusted the boys enough to let them sign the contracts. He had seen how defensive she had become the instant she had discovered what animals the contracts were for.

 _“They will definitely be powerful, Kashi-nii,”_ she had said, a frown on her lips as a finger traced the seals on the scrolls. _“These seals are proof of that. I don’t want to give anyone the chance to misuse them.”_

The conclusion Kakashi had come to made him follow Hikari when she headed to her room, waiting until the door closed behind him to speak.

“You’re planning to tell them the truth.”

It wasn’t a question.

Hikari paused, one hand frozen in midair where she had been tugging on the elastic that held her hair up. “What do you mean?” she finally prompted when the silver-haired teen didn’t continue.

“Those boys, Shisui and Itachi; you’re planning on telling them about yourself, aren’t you?”

Ah.

The girl sighed heavily and turned to face Kakashi fully. “Yeah,” she admitted, playing with a lock of her hair, having given up on undoing her twin tails for the moment. “Not just yet, but…someday.”

“Why?”

There was no judgement in the Hatake’s voice, only simple curiosity. Not even a trace of pressure, letting Hikari know that she didn’t need to answer if she didn’t want to.

“Because it’s hard!”

Hikari threw her hands up in frustration, finally allowing a fraction of the anxiety she kept locked up inside to show on her face. “I really, really like them and it hurts to keep lying to them when I just want to tell them _everything_.”

It was the truth. To Hikari, Shisui and Itachi were like the teammates and friends she had desired when she had been assigned to Team 7 in her first childhood.

She wasn’t throwing Sasuke and Sakura and Kakashi-sensei away…it was just _different_.

Kakashi-sensei had kept her at arm’s distance for most of their acquaintance, being reminded of his multiple losses and perceived failures just at the mere sight of her.

Sakura had been a total fangirl; the pink-haired girl had initially emulated the adults and hated Hikari for no reason.

Sasuke had been prickly at best and downright cruel at worst, twisted by the Uchiha tragedy and desired power for his revenge, enough to punch a hole in her chest.

It had taken time and a whole lot of pain before they had come together as a team, Kakashi-sensei becoming the big brother Hikari had always wanted, Sakura as a reliable sister and Sasuke as her brother in all but blood and best friend.

There was no way Hikari would ever abandon those treasured bonds.

But there was no rule stating she couldn’t form new ones.

“I know I have you, Shikaku-san and Jiji,” Hikari told Kakashi with a small, sad smile as she sat on the bed. “But…

“We’re not what you need,” the teen surmised, not surprised when she nodded. He understood what she wasn’t saying; the Sandaime was sort of a grandfather figure to her but there was a distance that was tinged with a trace of betrayal. Shikaku, for all that Hikari appeared to banter with him easily, was still an authority figure that she clearly looked up to.

Not to mention the mess that he himself was. Kakashi was in no position to help her mental state, not when he was barely handling his own.

Unaware of his thoughts, Hikari nodded absently. “No offense, but I just can’t rely on you for everything. Mainly because I know you very well from my dimension. I’m starting on a fresh slate with Shisui and Itachi, even if I kind of knew Itachi before.”

It was a refreshing feeling, having someone not judge her for being the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, regardless of whether it was positive or negative.

Hikari had no doubt that things would change, at least a little, when she finally told Shisui and Itachi the truth but she also trusted that they wouldn’t simply abandon her. They already suspected that there were things she wasn’t telling them and gave her space, letting her come to them on her own time.

And that meant _everything_ to her.

“Besides, they deserve to know, if they plan on getting dragged into my mess,” Hikari added with a grin, making Kakashi snort and shake his head.

“I pity those two,” he said mockingly, sauntering forward and ruffling the girl’s hair before she could swat his hand away. “Glad to know you’re not going to dump anything else on me.”

Hikari rolled her eyes, the gesture more playful than exasperated and retorted, “Looks like you didn’t learn your lesson yet, Kashi-nii. I need to beat you a little harder into the ground next time.”

Kakashi twitched; the faint twinges of pain from the bruises on his body didn’t agree with her statement.

“No thanks.”

In an obvious attempt to change the topic, he said, “I was surprised when you gave the summoning contracts to them.”

“Technically, I still have them,” Hikari pointed out, a knowing look in her blue eyes at the clear diversion but she went along with it. “But yeah. I was planning on it after testing them myself; summons are useful for shinobi and double as great companions as well. They can be trusted with the power.”

Kakashi understood.

Hikari was planning on forming a team of her own in order to combat whatever had destroyed her world and she had chosen Shisui and Itachi for it. From what he knew of them, they were already strong despite being young and had potential. Their loyalty to Konoha was also solid.

He himself had the task of helping Obito once they found him and Kakashi was certain that it wasn’t going to be easy. And from what Hikari had let slip, the kind of enemies they would face required literal powerhouses to take down.

Not that he _wasn’t_ powerful. Kakashi knew his abilities were top-notch but his chakra reserves weren’t large and even with his new training, it would still be nowhere near Hikari. In addition to that, his Sharingan drained a ton of his chakra too.

“Hmm.”

The Hatake eyed the girl in front of him. “I’m not going to ask anything else and you don’t need to tell me either,” he decided. “But I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Never doubted that, Kashi-nii.”

* * *

Hikari leapt across rooftops with silent steps, hair trailing behind her and longer than before. It had been almost two years since she had arrived in the current dimension. Apart from expanding the Uzumaki family in Konoha and solving the Hyuuga Affair, nothing of great importance had occurred.

It made her slightly uneasy.

**_“Isn’t that a good thing?”_ **

_“Normally, yes. I don’t recall anything happening in our previous world during this time but I would have expected Danzo to make a move.”_

Kurama had the urge to bash his head against the walls of the mindscape, completely done with his container. Truth was, the old war hawk had been spreading rumors about her amongst the villagers in an attempt to slowly isolate her but it hadn’t worked at all.

For one, Hikari’s open friendship with all the shinobi clans in Konoha had made the civilians skeptical about the rumors.

Two, she was bright and friendly to practically everyone, which made it hard to dislike her. Even her association with Naruto hadn’t affected her reputation; the blond boy had stayed out of the public eye on his own insistence, happy with all the friends he had made.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Third, Hikari was _dense._

 ** _‘The numbskull wouldn’t know ill will even if it smacked her right in the face,’_** Kurama thought with a barely withheld grumble. There was also the fact that she was so accustomed to cruelty and hatred that the half-hearted glares that she had been subjected to at first, slid off her like water off a duck’s back.

Choosing not to voice any of his thoughts completely, the fox instead said, **_“He has; you just don’t know it.”_**

_“Huh? What do you mean?”_

**_“…never mind.”_ **

Hikari pouted, feeling a little left out but didn’t press. The last year had been peaceful, Naruto and Karin finally growing out of their shells. They had bonded as siblings with each other, also forming strong friendships with the other children.

Ino, Chouji, Kiba and Shino had been introduced to them as well, the little Yamanaka taking one look at a shy Karin and snatching her up immediately. Hikari chuckled at the memory, absently wondering what would happen when Sakura came into the picture. _‘Considering how Karin is now, I suppose she and Ino will take Sakura under their wing.’_

Naruto and Shikamaru remained as best friends, hanging out with each other more often than not. Sasuke was a close second and although the Naruto-Sasuke rivalry was just as strong in this dimension, their bond as friends trumped it so Hikari wasn’t very concerned.

The most surprising out of all of them was Hinata. The little Hyuuga, unlike the wallflower she had been in Hikari’s original dimension, was growing up to be soft-spoken but self-assured. The timidness Hikari had seen during their first meeting had all but vanished, Hinata being confident in her words and actions.

 _‘Hinata would probably never be as exuberant as Ino or Karin, but she isn’t a pushover anymore,’_ Hikari mused, feeling a little pride at the thought. What she didn’t know was that Hinata had taken a shine to Hikari herself, looking up to her as an older sister. The undivided attention Hikari gave the Hyuuga whenever Hinata asked for it also went a long way in helping her.

There was no doubt that all of them would be attending the Academy when they were old enough. Naruto was already pestering her, Kakashi and Tenzo to train him, while Karin went through book after book to learn everything she could. The clan children were also in the same boat, receiving training from their respective families.

A flicker of familiar chakra brushed purposefully against her senses and Hikari glanced down to see Shisui waving at her, a leopard cub by the name of Amaya curled around his neck. He didn’t stop to intercept her though and neither did Hikari, noticing that the Jounin -also an ANBU now, but she wasn’t supposed to know that- was with a team of shinobi.

_‘He must have just returned from his mission.’_

Hikari waved back to him with a wide grin and continued on her path. Her choice to give Shisui and Itachi the summoning contracts had proven wise; it didn’t take long for either boy to bond with their summons. There would always be one or two cubs shadowing Shisui and if someone caught Itachi in the training grounds within the Uchiha compound, they could see him either training with his cats or taking care of the kittens.

 ** _“You’re forgetting about your own shadows,”_** Kurama interjected with a snort. He had supported, or in Hikari’s opinion, demanded that she train with her foxes. The girl had rolled her eyes at him but conceded and Kikyo soon became a common sight in the Uzumaki house. Naruto and Karin had practically squealed with delight at the fox and Hikari had had to fend off multiple requests to let them sign the Fox contract.

What Kurama was referring to was a little incident that had happened soon after signing the contracts; Hikari had been curious about the other foxes and had decided to call upon someone other than Kikyo.

_Once the puff of smoke disappeared, two pairs of wide eyes stared up at Hikari. “Uh…hi there? What are your names?”_

_The midnight black fox, with two tails and startlingly gold eyes, replied first. “I’m Kira. And this is my twin sister, Kaya,” she said, gesturing to the other almost identical, fox. The only difference was the white tips on Kaya’s tails, whereas Kira was entirely black._

_Kaya blinked once and darted to hide behind Kira, peeking out shyly at the human girl. Hikari noticed the flicker of anxiety in the fox’s golden eyes and crouched, in an attempt to make herself seem less threatening. “Nice to meet you both,” she said warmly. “I’m Uzumaki Hikari.”_

_“We know!” Kira chirped, not tense like her sister. “Kikyo-sama told everyone about you!”_

_“I see.” Hikari looked past Kira at the other fox, who shrunk back when vivid blue landed on her. “No offense, but…is Kaya afraid of me?”_

_Kira’s ears flattened against her head, visibly drooping at the question. “Not exactly.”_

_The fox turned to look at her sister, licking Kaya’s face in a gesture of comfort before entwining their tails. “When we foxes have only one tail and can pass for normal foxes, we sometimes come to this plane to get ourselves familiarized with humans. One time, a hunter caught Kaya and…she got hurt. She’s been scared of humans since then.”_

_Hikari felt guilty at that, even if it wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t intended to summon the twin foxes and remind them of their trauma. “I’m sorry. You can go back if-”_

_“No!”_

_Startling at the panicked shout, the redhead sat back. Golden eyes stared at her with desperation in their depths, Kira saying in a rush, “Kikyo-sama said that you’re really, really nice and we actually like the human world! Don’t make us go away!”_

_Both foxes hadn’t really ventured outside of their home dimension since the incident. They had gotten their second tails by the time Kaya was strong enough to leave and without the security of a trusted summoner, they didn’t dare leave._

_But with the arrival of three new summoners, they saw their chance._

_Hikari’s eyes softened at the foxes’ expressions and she sat down with her legs crossed, ignoring Kurama growling and yelling threats in the back of her mind. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to,” she reassured them, extending her hands slowly. “May I touch you?”_

_At the tentative nods she received in response, the girl gently placed her hands on Kira and Kaya’s head, freezing when she felt them stiffen. Only when they relaxed did she move, gently stroking their fur. “You guys are safe with me.”_

_“Thank you, Hikari-sama!”_

_“Just Hikari is fine.”_

_She simply stroked their heads for a while, inwardly squealing with happiness when the foxes leant into the touch and inched closer. Hikari could tell that even though they had two tails, they were children. It didn’t take much longer before Kira started purring loudly and almost crawled into her lap._

_That made Hikari notice something._

_“Uh…can’t you talk, Kaya? I haven’t heard a single sound from you…”_

_Kaya shook her head mournfully, ears drooping as she bared her neck. Kira gently clamped down on the human girl’s hand with her mouth and placed her palm on her sister’s neck. Picking up on the implied hint, Hikari pressed her fingers down gently. Her expression darkened as her lips twisted in a frown. Under her probing fingers, she could feel the rise of skin that indicated scars and there were a lot of them._

_“A wire trap?”_

_“Yes,” Kira replied sadly. “Even though we foxes are capable of healing, we don’t have the finesse to heal that level of damage. Kaya’s vocal cords were damaged; it’s a miracle that she even survived.”_

_“Hey, Kurama?”_

**_“What?”_ **

_“Think I can fix that?”_

**_“No harm in giving it a try…the kit’s healed well enough that if you’re careful, you won’t at least hurt her further.”_ **

_“Thanks for the vote of confidence, furball.”_

_“Kaya, is it already if I try something?” Hikari asked the fox. Kaya looked at her curiously and bobbed her head in a nod. Broadcasting her movements, the Uzumaki picked up the fox and settled her in her lap, one hand still held against the scars on Kaya’s neck._

_“If you feel uncomfortable or any pain, feel free to bite or scratch me to get me to stop.”_

_With that clear warning, Hikari closed her eyes and reached for her chakra. Experimenting with Manami had revealed that Hikari too possessed healing chakra and could use it to heal normally using a jutsu instead of having to do it via a bite._

_It only improved her already above average iryo ninjutsu skills and Hikari was more than happy to use that ability to heal the fox._

_She began with a basic diagnosis, assessing the level of damage and the current state of the animal’s vocal cords. They weren’t as damaged as she had expected; there was ligament damage and some of the tissues were twisted, evidence of a rushed healing. Not a surprise; if Kaya’s life had been in danger, then it was a given that the foxes would have prioritized saving her life._

_Hikari worked slowly; healing the torn ligaments was the easiest part and she moved on to the tissues once that was done. That part was significantly harder: she had to first undo the previous healing without actually ripping the tissues then heal them all again in the right way._

_No wonder none of the other foxes had attempted it._

_Apart from shifting a little in discomfort as she worked, Kaya did nothing and sat as still as she could. After what felt like hours but was only about fifteen minutes, Hikari withdrew her hand. “Try saying something, Kaya.”_

_The fox looked hesitant but at an encouraging nod from Kira, she opened her mouth._

_“…hel-lo..”_

_Her voice cracked on the second syllable but that was enough._

_Kira pounced on her sister with a joyous shriek, cuddling close and licking all over the other fox’s face. “You talked! Kaya, you just **talked**!”_

Ever since then, Kira and Kaya had attached themselves to Hikari, staying with her until the time limit for a summoning was up. Hikari even woke up sometimes to find black balls of fur on either side of her head. It was rather adorable.

_“Kira and Kaya are fun to have around, so I’m not complaining.”_

Kurama didn’t reply to that, instead perking up with a frown on his face. **_“Kit, do you sense that?”_**

_“Sense what?”_

**_“Past the main gates.”_ **

Hikari blinked at the confusion and urgency in her partner’s voice but obliged, extending her sensory range past the walls of Konoha.

Blue eyes widened when she finally sensed what Kurama was referring to.

“No way! It can’t be…!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we finally have a time-skip!  
> Things will be speeding up a little from now on or so I hope.  
> I claim creative license for all the supposedly technical stuff in this chapter.
> 
> What do you think Kurama and Hikari sensed at the end?
> 
> The next chapter might take a week or a month, since I still have a ton of stuff to do at work but I'll do my best to write. It's likely that you'll get an update on Overtwisted sooner, though.
> 
> Stay safe, everyone, and see you all next time!
> 
> Posted: 05/11/2020


	16. Desperation. Betrayal. Love.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise visitor(?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone!  
> Sorry for the cliffhanger in the previous chapter; I just couldn't resist!
> 
> A few of you made correct guesses in the comments as to the mystery person, so good job!  
> To confirm it, read the chapter and find out!
> 
> Happy reading~
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

_Kurama didn’t reply to that, instead perking up with a frown on his face. **“Kit, do you sense that?”**_

_“Sense what?”_

**_“Past the main gates.”_ **

_Hikari blinked at the confusion and urgency in her partner’s voice but obliged, extending her sensory range past the walls of Konoha._

_Blue eyes widened when she finally sensed what Kurama was referring to._

_“No way! It can’t be…!”_

Hikari shifted from foot to foot uncertainly, not sure if she should head towards the gates or go in search of an explanation. The need for the latter won out and the girl spun on her heel, sprinting towards the Hokage Tower.

A short flare of chakra was the only warning she gave before slipping through the open window in one smooth movement, landing perfectly on her feet in front of the surprised Sandaime.

Hiruzen took one look at her half-panicked, half-serious expression and activated the privacy seal. Whatever had spooked the usually unflappable girl must be serious. “Hello, Hikari-chan. What can I do for you?”

“Why?!”

“Why what?”

“Why is a group of people from Suna heading here?!”

“Ah,” the old Hokage hummed as he leant back in his chair and puffed at his pipe once before his expression turned mildly serious. “I believe you know that we have a treaty with Suna? A delegation is coming over to discuss some of the terms; they are facing some difficulties so they wish to find alternatives to keep the treaty in effect.”

Hikari took a deep breath in an attempt to regain some measure of calm. It didn’t work entirely, an edge of hysteria still present in her voice when she yelled, “Then why is the _Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi_ coming here as well?!”

The pipe slid from Hiruzen’s slack fingers and fell on the desk with a clatter, the sound rather loud in the otherwise silent room. “Are you certain?” he asked her, urgency in his tone.

“Yes. I’m fairly sure that the Jinchuuriki is Gaara but Shukaku’s chakra signature is very distinct. Kurama verified it as well.”

Hiruzen steepled his fingers, eyes narrowed in thought. Perhaps the Kazekage was bringing his children along, to allow them to experience the sight of a different village. But when he voiced his thoughts, Hikari immediately shook her head.

“That’s a good theory but I don’t sense any children in the group, Jiji.”

“I see…how far out are they?”

Hikari quirked an eyebrow at him in question but answered, “At their current speed? Six hours or so before they reach Konoha.”

Before Hiruzen could say anything, she spoke over him, “Something like this never happened in my dimension! Did you do something, Jiji?”

“I suppose I did,” the Sandaime agreed thoughtfully. “Or rather, _you_ did.”

“Hah?!”

“Think about it; in your world, Konoha would have been weakened slightly because of the incident with Kumo. The other shinobi villages would have taken the chance to either slip in spies or undermine any existing treaties. But that didn’t happen here.”

The redhead blinked.

That sounded just about right.

Thanks to their swift but firm dealing with Kumo’s kidnapping attempt where Konoha had emerged as the clear winner despite what was said on paper, the other villages would have become wary. Suna already had a treaty with Konoha and what Hikari knew of their declining economy meant that they were desperate enough to negotiate for lighter terms, instead of going against them.

In her dimension, Konoha’s perceived weakness would have put off Suna from doing such a thing, which was probably what gave Orochimaru the chance to make use of them.

While she was rolling that idea around in her head, Hiruzen continued speaking, “I remember what you told me of Suna attacking us during the Chuunin Exams, Hikari-chan. I agreed to the negotiation in the hope that a satisfactory treaty between us might make Rasa think before allying with Orochimaru.”

Hikari sighed, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Both she and the Sandaime had come to similar conclusions, despite starting at different points. “I suppose,” she finally said, looking up at the Sarutobi. “But I don’t understand why he brought Gaara along.”

Hiruzen grimaced. He had heard about the unstable Jinchuuriki from Suna, the Ichibi often breaking out from the seal to wreak havoc on the village. He had initially thought that the other village was planning on attacking Konoha but since the Kazekage himself was coming, a betrayal was unlikely.

“Do you think they might use Gaara-kun as a bargaining chip?”

“I don’t know. Suna’s circumstances don’t support the damages caused by a rampaging Bijuu but I don’t know why the Kazekage would bring him along.”

The old Hokage took in Hikari’s fidgeting, deducing that she had probably known the child in her former dimension and had had a close relationship with him.

He didn’t know how right on the mark he was.

Gaara was one of Hikari’s concerns; she knew about his childhood, which in a way was worse than hers. At least no one had tried to outright assassinate her.

But Rasa had used Gaara’s uncle against him, shattering his already fragile psyche. Considering the timelines, it was likely that incident hadn’t happened yet and she wanted to prevent it. Hikari knew that she could fix the boy’s seal, freeing Shukaku from the madness it caused and breaking the twisted link between them.

However, sneaking into Suna wasn’t the same as sneaking into Konoha or Kusa. Suna nin were suspicious of foreigners and would have attacked her on first sight, which was why she was putting off helping Gaara, much to her heartache and consternation.

Now, he would be in the same village as her but still with a distance that she couldn’t cross, lest she cause a diplomatic nightmare.

“Hikari-chan.”

“What?”

“Should the Ichibi get loose, do you think you can stop it?”

Hikari scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Of course I can, Jiji. Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Smiling slightly at her confidence, Hiruzen said, “For now, we will treat the Suna delegation as guests unless proven otherwise. Should the Ichibi escape and the Kazekage does nothing to stop it, I want you to handle it, Hikari-chan.”

The girl nodded absently, already planning what she could do. She certainly couldn’t go as herself; a simple henge into her former self and chakra suppression seals should work as a decent disguise. Plus a cloak to cover her face, to ensure that there would be no unwanted questions.

But she still hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

* * *

Rasa sat stiffly in his seat, staring at the Hokage on the other side of the room. One end of the long table was occupied by his men while the other end had the Konoha Council.

To the Kazekage’s surprise, he did not see the Advisors; instead, there were only four men accompanying the Hokage. Their features gave them away as a Hyuuga, an Uchiha, a Nara and an Aburame. Most likely, the other Kage had cut down the number of people in order to match the Suna delegation.

The Kazekage inwardly winced, recalling the thinly veiled threat from when the Sarutobi had met the delegation at the gates the previous evening. Bringing his son with them had been a calculated risk, one that nearly brought down the entirety of Konoha’s forces on their heads before they took even a single step inside the village.

Thankfully, the Hokage had been temporarily appeased with the explanation that it was too dangerous to leave him in Suna. Rasa was the only one who could stop the Ichibi when it was rampaging and if he was out of the village, then there was no telling what kind of damage the Bijuu would cause in his absence.

After a short but tense silence, the Hokage started with the initial formalities and pleasantries, making Rasa relax minutely.

“Well then, Kazekage-dono, shall we get straight to business? I believe it would be prudent; all of us are busy men, after all.”

“Quite, Hokage-dono,” Rasa agreed stiffly, inclining his head in a curt nod.

And so it went for the next few hours, the two sides arguing for the best possible benefits for their own village. Suna was the more persistent of the two, desperately needing more money to keep their village running. There were very few missions coming to them; it wasn’t quite because of the quality of their shinobi but due to the meagre resources available to them to complete a mission perfectly.

For that they needed money, and to get money, they needed more missions.

It was a vicious cycle.

In the end, Konoha decided on outsourcing an average of 10 A-Rank missions per month for two years to Suna, plus providing a complete arsenal of weaponry to some of their best Jounin.

“I thank you for your generosity, Hokage-dono,” Rasa said, slightly stunned. He had not expected such a good offer; 10 A-Ranks might not be much to Konoha but it was more than enough to improve Suna’s immediate conditions, considering that they had little to offer in return. The weaponry was something completely unexpected though. “But forgive me if I doubt it. Why would you provide us with so much in return for little to no benefits?”

Hiruzen hummed, not breaking his gaze with the Kazekage. “I wish for this peace to continue between our villages and it is only right to provide aid to our ally in their time of need.”

Rasa wasn’t sure if that was the complete truth but didn’t probe further, knowing that he didn’t have the leverage to do so. Instead, his thoughts shifted in another direction, one that did nothing but fill him with dread. He knew he had to do it though.

The man cleared his throat in a bid to gain the attention of the Konoha group. When Hiruzen focused on him, Rasa spoke, voice steady but quieter than before.

“In a gesture of goodwill between our villages, Suna wishes to give our Jinchuuriki to Konoha, should you accept.”

Hiruzen froze in his seat, stunned speechless by the words that had come out of the Kazekage’s mouth. Was Suna really giving away their _Jinchuuriki_?

Thankfully for him, Shikaku recovered quickly and spoke, “Even if the village does not use them in battle, a Jinchuuriki is usually meant to maintain the balance of power among the Five Great Shinobi villages. How would it benefit either of us if you give your Jinchuuriki to Konoha?”

Rasa was prepared for the question, “Suna, much to my sorrow, is currently not equipped to handle a Jinchuuriki. We cannot balance both the rebuilding of our village and the boy’s training.” It galled him to admit such a thing but it was the decision that his Council had taken and he had no choice but to follow through.

“The amendments to the treaty are not reliant on your acceptance of this offer,” Rasa reassured quickly when the Nara’s expression turned skeptical. “Should you accept, the Jinchuuriki will immediately be handed over to your custody. Of course, once the current Jinchuuriki dies, the Bijuu will be returned to Suna.”

Hiashi’s eyes narrowed at the wording. It was obvious that Suna was plotting something; by saying that they wanted the Ichibi back when the Jinchuuriki died, they meant by _any_ cause of death. Even if it was caused intentionally by Suna.

It was a tempting offer; having two Bijuu in their possession, even if for a short time, would increase Konoha’s standing in the eyes of the other villages. Bonus points if they could control the supposedly unstable Jinchuuriki.

Feeling eyes on him, the Hyuuga Clan Head shifted his gaze to meet his Hokage’s questioning eyes. In response, Hiashi folded his hands casually, a sign to say that he was withholding immediate decisions. Fugaku, Shikaku and Shibi did the same; none of them was comfortable enough to make a split second decision just for the sake of instant benefits.

Hiruzen nodded imperceptibly and turned to the Suna delegations. “May we have time to deliberate on this, Kazekage-dono?” he requested lightly, but his stormy expression told another story. “I’m afraid this is not a decision that can be taken swiftly.”

“Of course, Hokage-dono. In the meantime, we can prepare the documents for the amendments to the treaty.”

“A fine suggestion. Let us adjourn for the day,” Hiruzen got to his feet, inclining his head respectfully to the other Kage and flicked his hand behind his sleeve. An ANBU appeared next to him and the old Hokage said, “Bear will take you to your accommodations, Kazekage-dono. I hope you will find them satisfactory.”

Once the door shut behind the Suna nin, leaving only Hiruzen and the four Clan heads in the room, the Sarutobi sat down heavily.

What a headache.

* * *

Shikaku hung back in the room after Fugaku, Hiashi and Shibi departed; they had been discussing the offer made by Suna and despite their misgivings, they had to reluctantly agree that it was a good idea. Having two Jinchuuriki would certainly bring more power to the village.

They had decided to speak with the rest of the Clan heads before bringing their collective opinion to the Hokage, who would make the final decision on whether to accept Suna’s offer or not.

Dark eyes watched the exhausted form of the Sandaime, a thin eyebrow rising when the Sarutobi pulled out a kunai and channeled some chakra into it. Not a second passed before a familiar redhead materialized in the room, Hikari slamming her hands on the desk anxiously.

“What happened, Jiji?”

“Apparently, Suna wants to give us their Jinchuuriki.”

“They _what_?” Hikari’s thought processes crashed at the dry statement, leaving her to stare at the Hokage dumbly, mouth agape. She had not expected _that_.

“Yeah,” Shikaku affirmed, pulling out two chairs and settling on one before sliding the other in the redhead’s direction. “Something about not having the resources to handle a Jinchuuriki.”

Mouth snapping shut, the girl dropped into the chair, tugging on her hair in thought and frustration. “That’s weird. They didn’t do this in my dimension.”

_‘Is this another change?’_

“None of us believe that they don’t have ulterior motives,” Hiruzen said. It was something that the men who had been in the meeting collectively agreed on; the Suna Council was much too shrewd and power hungry to give away one of their best weapons.

Hikari nodded, biting her lip as she looked between the Hokage and Shikaku. Her expression clearly displayed her hesitation, something uncharacteristic of her.

“What did you decide?”

“For now, we’re leaning towards accepting,” Shikaku told her. He couldn’t help but also let her know of his suspicions, “Honestly, I think they’re planning on destroying Konoha at least a little. Their Jinchuuriki is clearly unstable and it is possible that they’re betting on the Bijuu getting loose and leveling the village.”

“That isn’t Gaara’s fault!”

The redhead bristled, not willing to let the perceived insult to her friend’s counterpart slide. “Those stupid, incompetent Suna nin slapped a botched, inferior seal on him! It’s hurting both Gaara and Shukaku!”

That loaded statement sparked a ton of questions, Hiruzen asking curiously, “Do you know the Jinchuuriki, Hikari-chan?”

“He has a name; use it,” Hikari countered irritably, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t like how they were talking about Gaara. In the back of her head, she knew it wasn’t entirely their fault and she was simply taking out her frustration on them but she couldn’t help it.

Shikaku winced at the anger on the girl’s face but nodded agreeably. “You know Gaara-kun then?”

“Yes. He was like a brother to me.”

The Nara didn’t doubt that; both Jinchuuriki would have had a connection simply because of the Bijuu within them and it sounded like Hikari and her world’s Gaara had formed a bond through choice. It would have tied them closer than a simple friendship.

“If we were to accept Suna’s offer,” Shikaku started slowly, eyeing the stiffening girl with hidden humor, “would you take care of him, Hikari?”

“I…”

_“Gaara!”_

_The blonde girl clung to the redheaded male, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she sobbed into his chest. “Please…”_

_“Naruto,” he said gently, one arm around her slim waist as he patted her head with his free hand. “You know I must.”_

_In the distance, thick branches ripped through the land, letting the two know that the reanimated Hashirama was approaching. It was almost certain that at least Tobirama would be with him, let alone the other remaining reanimated Kages._

_They were running out of time._

_Naruto knew that herself; if they didn’t seal away the Edo Tensei Kages soon, then the remnants of the Allied Shinobi forces were done for._

_Out of the survivors, Gaara was the only one capable of doing so in one fell swoop._

_But she wanted to be selfish; she didn’t want to lose him._

_“Naruto, please.”_

_Gaara pulled away and instead cradled the blonde’s face, pressing his forehead to hers. “I wish to protect everyone, Naruto. I know you understand that.”_

_Tears beaded at the corners of blue eyes but Naruto didn’t let them fall. She did understand; both of them were Kages, entrusted with the protection of their respective villages. How could she stop Gaara from doing something that she would do in a heartbeat?_

_“…okay.”_

_Her grip loosened but she didn’t let go completely yet, wanting to bask in her friend’s, no, **brother’s** warmth for one last time._

_She knew that he would not be coming back._

_The redhead stepped back, arms dropping to his sides. He shot a small but genuine smile at the girl, whispering a few words to her before leaping away._

_Naruto stood frozen in her spot, senses focused on Gaara as a wall of sand hid him from her view. She didn’t move, keeping watch over him as he fought against the Kages. One by one, they went down, sealed away by the Godaime Kazekage’s sand._

_Time passed and the last flickers of chakra disappeared from the blonde’s keen senses, snuffed out by the sand coffins. Only the girl remained, standing in the now silent battlefield, Gaara’s last words ringing in her ears._

_“I love you, little sister. Be safe.”_

“Hikari?”

The redhead jolted out of her memories at Shikaku’s voice and blinked in confusion at the man. “Sorry…what did you say?”

“I asked if you would take care of Gaara-kun if we accepted Suna’s offer.” The Nara had a knowing glint in his eyes, as if he knew that she had just taken an impromptu trip down memory lane. But to her gratitude, he didn’t draw attention to it.

But his question was a valid one.

Looking at the two men in the room, Hikari decided to reveal something from her past. “Remember when I said that Suna and Oto joined forces to attack Konoha during my Chuunin Exams? Gaara was a vital part of that,” she admitted. In truth, most of Orochimaru’s plan had revolved around the Ichibi providing a distraction while he went after the Sandaime.

Hiruzen and Shikaku mulled over that piece of information, the Hokage eventually saying, “Wouldn’t it be a good thing if we have Gaara-kun then? Orochimaru wouldn’t be able to use him.”

The Nara, however, picked up on what the girl _wasn’t_ saying and interjected before Hikari could reply, “You’re thinking that Orochimaru’s plan will change if he doesn’t have Gaara-kun.”

“I…yes.”

On one hand, taking Gaara in would give him the same chance little Naruto had gotten, the chance to have a relatively happy childhood, where he wouldn’t have to face the hatred of the people around him alone. Konoha wouldn’t hate him as much as Suna, anyway.

On the other hand, it would mean most of her future knowledge would become useless.

Sure, she could instead offer to fix the boy’s seal and send him back to Suna. That way, some things might still remain the same.

But was that worth it?

“You know what,” Hikari spoke up suddenly, shooting to her feet and startling the men, “screw it.”

“What?” Shikaku asked, bemused, as he eyed her warily.

“Screw the timeline!” she yelled, throwing up her hands. Almost nothing had gone the exact same way as in her dimension since she had come to this world and it was likely that the trend would continue. There was no point in sacrificing her brother’s sanity for the sake of information. “We’re taking Gaara in; the future and Suna and Orochimaru be damned!”

Hiruzen chuckled, taking her outburst in stride. He had suspected that she might react like that but he also had to consider the consequences. “Suna will not be happy when they realize that they won’t be getting their Bijuu back for a long time.”

“Hmph. They were the ones who made that stupid decision; they can shut their traps.”

“There’s also the matter of Danzo,” Shikaku drawled, resting his chin on his palm as he thought about how the Shimura would react. He had already tried to get Naruto multiple times, even aimed for Shibi’s son, Shino, and was vainly trying to isolate the redhead currently ranting in front of him.

Since all of his plans were failing, it was likely that the old man would resort to ungainly methods to get the Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi.

Hikari waved her hand absently.

“Don’t worry about the old geezer,” she said, a dismissive note in her voice. Gaara was going to be as much a public figure as Naruto was if he was moving to Konoha. If Danzo couldn’t touch Naruto because of that, how could he get Gaara?

“Just get the approval of the rest of the clans and we’re good. The noisy and useless advisors can just whine, for all I care.”

“You realize that none of them will object?” the Nara pointed out, amused. If Hikari asked for it, he knew that the Hyuuga and Uchiha would stage a coup for her. He himself would support it, not to mention the Inuzuka. The rest would remain neutral _if_ they didn’t join in and there was quite a number of powerful shinobi who would side with her over the Hokage himself.

Not that he thought Hikari would even consider such a thing, but that was the kind of loyalty she inspired.

Hikari shrugged in response to Shikaku, finally calming down a little. “Maybe. Doesn’t change the fact that I want to help Gaara, no matter what. Besides,” a devious smirk curled her lips, “I’d _love_ to see the Suna councilmembers’ faces when they realize that they lost their Bijuu.”

“Danzo isn’t going to take this well,” Hiruzen sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. He knew his old friend enough to predict that Danzo would be frothing at the mouth when the other man learned of his decision. “Two Jinchuuriki and neither of them under his control.”

A snort broke his train of thought and the old man turned his head to face Hikari, who raised an eyebrow at him. “ _Three_ Jinchuuriki. Did you forget that I’m one too?”

“Ah, that’s true. But he does not know that.”

“Yep. Anyway, send me a message when I can pick up Gaara. I’m going to get his room ready. See you later, Jiji, Shikaku-san!”

The girl vanished using the Hiraishin, leaving the two men to shake their heads in fond exasperation.

* * *

Yashamaru watched his nephew play with his bear, grains of sand floating around him. Unlike the clueless redhead, he knew _exactly_ why Gaara had been brought along on this diplomatic mission.

He clenched his fists upon remembering the Elders’ decision: Gaara’s faulty seal was eventually going to break and release the Bijuu, so why not inflict that danger upon another village?

Konoha’s growing power had alarmed the Elders enough to go to such drastic measures. The death of the Kazekage’s son would not be on their hands if their plan succeeded and the Ichibi would be returned to them soon. A suitable host could be found in the meantime.

All in all, Suna benefited greatly.

But Yashamaru could not accept it, not when it was his beloved sister’s child who was going to suffer because of the cruel decisions of the Elders. Gaara was a sweet child; he did not truly understand why people hated and feared him. Yet he longed for love and acceptance, which even his own family could not provide him with.

Temari and Kankuro were scared of their little brother and Rasa was slowly beginning to see his youngest child as a useless tool. The number of assassins sent after Gaara proved that.

“Yashamaru! Yashamaru, look!”

The little boy’s delighted voice distracted the man from his dark and depressing thoughts. Yashamaru managed a strained but genuine smile, “What is it, Gaara-sama?”

“Look!”

Gaara waved his hands in the air, making the sand carry his bear towards the man. Yashamaru’s breath hitched; this was the first time Gaara manipulated sand so easily without having to infuse his chakra into it. The boy’s face was scrunched in concentration as he guided his sand, determined to make his bear reach his uncle who was on the other side of the room.

“That was amazing, Gaara-sama,” Yashamaru praised when the bear finally landed in his arms, crouching to be level with the child when Gaara ran to him. “Your control has improved greatly.”

“Yes,” Gaara beamed, green eyes sparkling with joy. “I want to train more with Father, like Temari and Kankuro! So I have to practice lots.”

Oh, no.

How could Yashamaru tell this sweet child that his father was probably going to leave him in Konoha?

A knock on the door pulled Yashamaru from where he was seated on Gaara’s bed, the child sleeping for a bit. Thanks to the Ichibi, he could not get a full night’s sleep but he could manage short naps when he was really tired.

With mounting trepidation, the man stood up to answer the door, knowing that it was the Kazekage on the side.

“Rasa-sama.”

“Yashamaru,” the Yondaime Kazekage said, inclining his head a little. “Konoha has informed us of their final decision. They have accepted.”

Those simple words were enough to cause Yashamaru’s heart to freeze. “But, Rasa-sama-”

Rasa cut him off, face set in an impassive glare. “There is no point in protesting. The decision has already been made and to go back on it now will earn us the ire of both Konoha and our Elders.”

Having said his piece, the Kazekage turned, walking away without even bothering to check on his son. “At least this way, the boy will be of some use to Suna.”

“He’s your son! How could you do this?! Kazekage-sama, please reconsider!”

“That boy is more beast than human, what with the Bijuu exerting its control more often than not. He no longer has a place in our village.”

The slamming of a door indicated the end of the conversation and Yashamaru slumped against the wall, staring down the empty hallway blankly.

There was nothing more he could now, except hope that whoever was going to take charge of his nephew was kind.

_‘Oh, Gaara-sama…I’m so sorry…’_

At the gates of Konoha, two delegations stood facing each other, a tense silence surrounding them. Gaara stood next to Yashamaru, holding onto the man with one hand while staring between his father and the old man in red and white robes.

“Gaara,” his father finally spoke, eyes trained on the old man. Not once did his gaze waver, even when addressing his own son.

Surprised at being suddenly called, the little boy stuttered but managed to respond, “Y-Yes, Father?”

“From this moment forth, you will remain in Konoha.”

What?

Yashamaru knelt down, seeing the child’s confusion. Smiling sadly, the man explained, “You’ll be staying in Konoha from now on, Gaara-sama.”

“W-Why…?”

“I’m sorry, Gaara-sama.”

“But, Yashamaru-!”

Heart clenching at the teary expression on his nephew’s face, the sandy-haired man squeezed the child’s hands once in comfort before letting go and getting to his feet. Any longer and he might not be able to fight back the urge to take Gaara and run.

Unmindful of the interaction happening next to him, Rasa shook hands with the Hokage. He could tell that the other Kage disapproved of his attitude towards his son but he had to be a leader before he could be a father, especially towards a child he was beginning to resent.

Formalities completed, the Kazekage nodded to his entourage and turned around, starting a brisk pace towards Suna. Accompanying soft footfalls told him that Yashamaru and the others were following, even if his brother-in-law was hesitant to leave.

All was for the good of Suna.

* * *

“Father! Yashamaru!”

Gaara kept screaming for his father and uncle, unable to believe that they had left him behind. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and forming wet patches on the ground but he didn’t care. He kept staring towards where Rasa and Yashamaru had disappeared, hoping that they would come back.

It hurt.

He wasn’t bleeding anywhere like Yashamaru had said when people were hurt but his heart felt like it would burst from the agony he was feeling.

_Emotional pain._

_Wound of a heart._

Gaara thought he had understood what that meant; he felt it every time someone flinched or ran away from him, every time he sensed glaring eyes on him.

But what he was feeling now was far greater than anything he had ever experienced.

_‘Why, Yashamaru…Father…? What can I do to make you love me?’_

No matter how hard he tried, no one smiled at him; no one was happy to be in his presence.

He tried so hard!

He kept trying to smile, to be friendly, so that someone would like him.

All he got for his efforts were pain, glares and harsh words.

**_“That’s right…kill them all, Gaara…”_ **

The child flinched upon hearing the dark voice that always echoed in his head; his father had said that it was a monster and Gaara believed him. The voice always scared him, telling him that it would kill everyone when he slept.

Gaara didn’t want that!

His dreams were always haunted by that scary feeling and so he never slept for long, scared that he would wake up and find out that he had hurt or killed people.

**_“Kill them, Gaara…no one loves you…Only I am on your side…!”_ **

“Stop it!”

Gaara dropped to his knees, clutching his head tightly. Tears were still falling from his eyes, the pain in his heart so very overwhelming. The fear that the voice caused made everything worse and he didn’t have Yashamaru to help him.

The voice laughed, cruel and high-pitched. **_“I want blood…isn’t red a pretty color…?”_**

“Child…”

Another voice this time, one that Gaara vaguely recognized as the old man in robes, spoke up, something soft in his tone. The man took a single step towards him but stopped when sand rose up around the little boy, swirling threateningly.

He was scared.

Darkness was enveloping his vision, breaths coming fast as Gaara tried to get air into his lungs.

“N-No…”

In response to his spiraling emotions, the sand rose higher prompting the shinobi who were gathered around the boy to pull out kunai and other weapons.

**_“See? These people do not care about you…kill them, Gaara!”_ **

The sand rose higher and higher around the panicking boy, causing the civilians present in the area to scream and run in terror. The shinobi tensed, not sure what to do and what level of threat the sand posed. But before any of them could do anything except shift a foot, someone shouted, the authority in the voice making them all freeze in place.

“Stay away from him!”

* * *

Hikari jerked when she felt Shukaku’s chakra spike, almost dropping the plates she held in her hands. The Sandaime was supposed to bring Gaara over after seeing the Suna delegation off but that dark chakra, crushing Gaara’s own panicked chakra signature, let her know that something had gone wrong.

“Hikari-chan?” Manami popped her head into the kitchen, her features expressing her worry. “Do you feel that?”

“Yeah. Manami-san, can you watch over Naruto and Karin?” Hikari asked urgently, setting the plates down on the counter and drying her hands on a towel. “I think something happened to Gaara.”

The woman’s eyes widened in understanding and she nodded, stepping to the side when the girl rushed past her. Manami had been told about Gaara the previous night, along with Naruto and Karin. All of them had been supportive when Hikari had hesitantly explained that the boy would be living with them, the kids delighted to have another sibling.

Manami, however, had been pulled aside after Naruto and Karin had gone to bed. She had been informed of what exactly Gaara was: a Jinchuuriki, just like her nephew. But unlike him, the other boy’s seal was faulty, hurting him greatly.

Hikari had assured her in a worried but confident voice that she could help him and that no one had any cause to be concerned.

Honestly, the woman didn’t need the assurance. She had learned long ago that Hikari accomplished whatever she set her mind to and if she wanted to help Gaara, then Manami would support her.

Besides, after hearing what the child had experienced in Suna, there was no way Manami could be so cruel as to refuse him.

“Hikari-chan,” she called, smiling gently when the girl paused in pulling her shoes on to look at her inquisitively. “Bring Gaara-kun home safely.”

Hikari grinned, bright and warm, snapping off a salute before running out the door. “It’s a promise!”

Not bothering to waste time running, Hikari used the Hiraishin to appear in a shadowed street near the gates of Konoha. The rising sand only added to her concern and she ran up the walls of the village to get to a good vantage point.

From high up, she could see the small form of Gaara in the middle of the miniature sandstorm. She frowned; the boy’s emotions were all over the place, from sadness to deep agony to intense fear. Shukaku’s chakra was still leaking from the seal, causing the fear to spike.

 _‘I think Shukaku is provoking Gaara somehow,’_ she thought. Hikari had known that being told to stay behind in Konoha was going to hurt the boy but she had the feeling that Rasa and Yashamaru had not handled it well. It was likely that the information had been sprung on him out of the blue, making him distraught, the unfamiliar environment not helping.

The Konoha shinobi were drawing their weapons in response to the perceived threat, even though the Sandaime held a hand up to prevent them from attacking. It wouldn’t help though; Gaara was already on the verge of a complete meltdown and the mere sight of weapons would cause him to panic.

“Stay away from him!” she yelled, jumping off the wall and right into the eye of the sandstorm. She faintly heard Hiruzen shouting at her over the wailing of the sandstorm but she ignored it, having eyes only for the boy in front of her.

Surprisingly, Gaara heard the soft thump as she landed on the ground and he looked up in alarm, stumbling back and falling on his butt as he lost his balance. Hikari noticed the tears on his cheeks, his green eyes blown wide with panic. Fighting to keep the rage from showing on her face, she knelt down in front of the boy, hands held out to show that she didn’t have a weapon.

But she desperately wanted one, to chase down that bastard of a Kazekage and skewer him, to make him feel even a smidgen of the pain he had inflicted on his _own son_.

“N-No..! Go away!”

Hikari’s heart broke at the pure fear in Gaara’s voice but she didn’t falter. Softening her expression, Hikari stayed where she was and let a gentle smile curl her lips.

“It’s okay, Gaara…”

The little redhead looked at her with teary eyes, chest heaving as he tried to breathe. His panic was one thing but the dark voice still screaming in his head didn’t help matters at all. Gaara scrambled back, not trusting that the girl wouldn’t hurt him. Or that _he_ wouldn’t hurt _her._

To his surprise, she didn’t move from her spot, still staring at him with that calm gaze. Her hair was a deeper red than his own, the long strands whipping about in the wind caused by the sandstorm raging around them. In the shadows caused by the sand, her hair looked like blood splatters.

But her eyes were blue, the deep blue of the sky on a sunny day, warm and gentle, in a way that not even Yashamaru had matched. Gaara’s own teal green eyes connected with hers and he was startled at the absence of fear in those blue eyes.

“Why…?”

“Why what?”

“Why aren’t you scared of me?!” Gaara yelled, the sands lashing out in response to his wild emotions. But the girl didn’t even flinch, simply tilting her head to the side to avoid the haphazard attacks. “Everyone is scared of me! They don’t like me and they only hurt me!”

“Maybe,” she replied softly, her voice almost lost in the howling wind. “But I’m not scared of you.”

“I-”

“I know you don’t want to hurt me, Gaara.”

“But I always hurt everyone! Father said that I have a monster in me!”

Gaara was certain that the girl in front of him would now have the same expression people had in Suna, whenever they saw him. An expression of fear and hatred, solely directed at him for things he did not understand and did not ask for.

Seconds ticked by, the boy waiting for the expected shriek of fear and mad scramble to get away.

But…

That didn’t happen.

He watched as the girl’s expression turned sad and she dropped her hands, instead holding them out towards him. “You won’t hurt me,” she said confidently, still holding his gaze. “The being in you isn’t a monster.”

She paused, eyes closing for a second before opening, now with a determined light in them. “And neither are you, Gaara.”

The sheer amount of certainty in her voice stunned him and for a moment, Gaara forgot how to breathe. There was an emotion in those bright eyes that he had seen many times directed at others, but not at him.

 _Never_ at him.

But…that was no longer the truth, was it?

Because this unknown girl in front of him stood her ground even when he lost control, something his own father had never done.

Because the emotion Gaara had longed for was so clearly visible in her eyes, in her expression, in the curve of her smile.

 _Love_.

He recognized the gesture she was making by holding her arms out like that, having seen parents reach out for their children in a similar manner.

She was welcoming him, giving him the chance to choose for himself, to experience _love_.

Refusing to get his hopes up yet at the same time yearning, Gaara whispered a few words, focused entirely on the strange girl. Unbeknownst to him, the sandstorm had died down, only a few scattered grains of sand floating in the air.

“Will you love me?”

“I already do.”

* * *

Hiruzen watched anxiously as the tornado of sand rose higher and higher, worried for the redhead who had leapt in minutes prior with no concern for her own safety. If the situation didn’t change in the next few minutes, he would have to use force.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the tornado slowed down, sand falling to the ground like rain and eventually dissipating. In what had been the epicentre were the two redheads, the Suna child staring at the female redhead with glassy eyes, filled with a mix of pain, despair and hope.

Hikari was kneeling on the ground, arms held out to the boy. She did not pay any attention to the gawking shinobi and civilians around them, focused only on the child in front of her. A kind smile was on her face, a smile that he had seen only directed towards a few select people.

“Hokage-sama, should we…?” one of the shinobi spoke up, glancing nervously between his leader and the two children. It was safe to say that he was unnerved by the sudden disappearance of the sandstorm.

“Wait.”

Hiruzen shook his head, willing to leave the matter in Hikari’s capable hands. She did have official custody of the Ichibi’s Jinchuuriki and she was the only one in the entire village who would not fear him.

He simply watched as the little boy shakily pushed himself up onto his feet, taking small, hesitant steps towards Hikari.

Hikari mostly ignored the shinobi surrounding them, only sparing enough attention to ensure that she could deflect any attack aimed at her or Gaara.

Speaking of Gaara, the child was slowly walking towards her, hesitantly reaching out his hands. But she didn’t move yet, waiting until he placed one shaking hand in hers. Smiling, Hikari gently closed her fingers around that tiny hand, tugging him to her.

“You really are not scared of me?” Gaara asked, shuffling closer, teal green eyes watching her expression closely.

“No,” Hikari replied, wrapping her arms around those small shoulders, telegraphing her movements as she did so. _‘Sage, he is so small; even smaller than Naruto!’_

Gaara stiffened in her hold, whether out of fear of his sand striking out or being pushed away. When neither happened, he sniffled, tears forming in his eyes again. He let himself go, grabbing fistfuls of the girl’s shirt and burying his face in her neck as he started to cry.

“There, there,” Hikari shushed him, running a hand down his back soothingly. “It’s alright now, Gaara. You’re safe.”

“Y-Yashamaru and Father,” Gaara hiccupped, burrowing closer when he recalled the coldness in his father’s eyes as he told him that he could no longer go home, “th-they said I can’t go home.”

Hikari ruthlessly squashed the white-hot fury that erupted in her at those words, finally learning what had truly set off the boy earlier. Even though it was not an ideal situation, Gaara had not been eased into it. Instead, the information had been dumped on him at the very last moment, giving him the impression of being abandoned.

There was no need for Gaara to mistakenly assume that her anger was directed at him.

“I’m so sorry, Gaara,” Hikari whispered into his hair, hugging the boy just a little bit tighter. “But...would you like to come with me? To a new home?”

Gaara froze at the question, shock overpowering any other emotion he had been feeling.

“Of course, it won’t be just you and me,” she continued blithely, as if oblivious to his dilemma. “There will be at least four other people, two kids your age, an aunt and a big brother. Sometimes, there’ll be others too but they’re all very nice.”

She stopped talking when the fingers gripping her shirt tightened, digging into her skin. “Gaara?”

“They will like me? Play with me?”

“Yeah,” came the cheerful reply. Hikari cradled the boy’s face with one hand, brushing away the remnants of tears. “Naruto and Karin are looking forward to meet you.”

“But…Temari and Kankuro are always afraid of me…”

“Well, good thing we’re not them, right?”

Hikari drew back a little, meeting Gaara’s eyes. “I know we’re strangers to you and you’re very sad and hurt, but will give us a chance? I just want you to be happy, Gaara.”

“I…”

Gaara didn’t know what to do. Less than an hour ago, he had been literally abandoned by his family in an unfamiliar village, lonely and hurt. But here was a strange girl, offering him everything he had ever wanted. Telling him that she loved him, wanted him to be happy.

**_“KILL HER! SHE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! ONLY HER BLOOD WILL SATISFY US!”_ **

The voice, which had been surprisingly quiet since the girl had arrived, suddenly screamed at him, making him flinch violently. But for the first time in his life, there was warmth around him, a gentle hand cradling his head and holding him as if he was something precious.

_‘Even Yashamaru didn’t do this for me…’_

And so Gaara found the courage to talk back to the voice.

_“No…you can’t hurt her!”_

**_“GAARA!”_ **

_“No!”_

Hikari frowned when she felt Shukaku’s chakra spike and Gaara flinch in her arms but to her surprise, the sand did not rise, not preparing for an attack. She studied the child’s expression, eyebrows rising in shock when there was a look of defiance on his face.

“Gaara? What is it?”

“The voice…it says it wants your blood,” Gaara muttered, causing the nearby shinobi to tense and reach for their weapons. “But I won’t let it!”

The girl blinked at the bold statement, taken aback by the sudden vehemence in his tone. “Aren’t you a brave kid?” she praised lightly, patting his head. The seemingly innocent action hid what she was actually doing and that was placing a temporary seal to quiet Shukaku.

She would have to look at Gaara’s seal when they were in a safer location but for now, it would have to do.

“But, you know,” Hikari whispered softly, hugging the child to herself tightly. “You don’t have to fight the voice alone. I’m here now.”

Slowly relaxing thanks to the positive feelings the embrace evoked, Gaara melted against the girl, eyes starting to droop. When he realized he was falling asleep, he jolted but Hikari shushed him.

“It’s alright, Gaara. You can sleep; I promise that nothing will happen.”

“But…”

Hikari pressed the boy’s head against her shoulder, running a hand through his hair. “It’ll be just fine, okay? If you’re really that worried, how about a short nap instead?”

That sounded better, Gaara thought and nodded tiredly, completely exhausted thanks to the emotional turmoil he had been through. Maybe, just this once, he wouldn’t have to wake up to destruction and pain.

* * *

Hikari sighed as she rose to her feet, a sleeping Gaara cradled in her arms. There was no doubt that he would break down again in the future, old enough to understand what had been done to him but too young to deal with it in a healthy manner.

Sleepless nights were in her future for sure.

 _‘I don’t regret my choice though,’_ she thought, smiling when Gaara snuffled and pressed deeper into her neck and she adjusted her posture to support him better. _‘As long as I can give him a happier life, I won’t regret it.’_

“Hikari-chan.”

“Hey, Jiji,” Hikari replied absently, still not taking her eyes off the boy in her arms. “Mind telling everyone to calm down? I don’t want to spook Gaara in case he wakes up.”

“Of course,” Hiruzen agreed, waving at the gathered shinobi. Most of them saluted and dispersed, the ANBU vanishing into the shadows. A few lingered though, curious about the girl who had faced an out-of-control Jinchuuriki without a hint of fear.

“You’re going to get more attention now, Hikari-chan.” Her little stunt might have been necessary but she had literally stared down death earlier. “That was a dangerous thing to do.”

Hikari bristled like a wet feline, face set in a glare as she finally shifted her gaze to stare at the old man. “I don’t care,” she hissed, mindful to keep her voice down. “I _told_ you that I would not allow any harm to come to him.”

The Sandaime sighed, the exhaustion of the day starting to weigh on him. “I suppose so. Are you going to leave now?”

“Not yet. I want to ask you something: did the Kazekage only tell Gaara about the arrangement before he left?”

“Yes. It was cruel of him,” Hiruzen replied, expression darkening as he remembered the callous way in which Rasa had handled the matter, with _his own son_. “The only person who showed any form of kindness was the child’s uncle; I believe his name is Yashamaru.”

Hikari hummed, blue eyes narrowed as she stared out the gates. “I see.”

Recognizing that tone of voice, the old Hokage barely withheld a shudder. He almost begged, “Whatever you do, Hikari-chan, _please_ do not cause an inter-village diplomatic nightmare.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jiji.”

“Hikari-chan, _please_.”

* * *

Rasa watched the distant tornado of sand, visible despite the distance between Konoha and the Suna delegation, with a blank expression on his face. _‘Not even an hour since the boy was left there and the Bijuu is already breaking free.’_

At that rate, Suna would have their Bijuu back in their possession sooner than expected.

Just as he was about to turn away, something caught his eye and Rasa focused back just as the sand disappeared. His brow furrowed; knocking Gaara out wouldn’t stop the Ichibi from getting out from the seal. There were only two possibilities: either Gaara managed to control the Bijuu or someone sealed it.

Neither was likely.

“Gaara-sama…”

Yashamaru was the only one staring in the direction of Konoha with concern and sorrow, having truly cared for his nephew. He didn’t like having to leave the child amongst strangers but there was nothing he could do.

“The boy is no longer any of our concern, Yashamaru,” Rasa reprimanded his brother-in-law, stern and unbending. “He is now Konoha’s responsibility.”

“Be as it may, Kazekage-sama, Gaara-sama is my sister’s beloved son and he will always have my concern,” Yashamaru shot back, expression demure but with eyes of steel. He would never be able to forgive Rasa for his cruelty towards the son he had made into a monster.

“At least one of you genuinely cares for him. Better than nothing, I guess.”

The Suna delegation tensed at the feminine voice, all of them turning around rapidly to face the source. Up in a tree a few feet away from them, a woman dressed in black was perched on a branch. She had short black hair framing her face and porcelain-like skin. But her eyes were the strangest feature.

They were crimson, with slitted pupils.

“Who are you?” Rasa demanded, wary of the woman who had come so close without alerting any of them. There was an aura of danger around her even though she looked delicate, like she would break at the smallest touch.

“No one you know,” she replied, staring at him with an unnerving intensity. “I just wanted to see what kind of a person you are to abandon your own son like that.”

Rasa tensed at the accusation. “That is none of your business.”

“Hmm, really?”

The woman tilted her head to the side, still staring at him as she twirled a kunai on her finger. “Well, that’s neither here nor there.”

The air suddenly turned cold, intense killing intent leaking from the woman. Rasa grit his teeth, fighting to stay on his feet and not fall to the ground in a shivering mess, like his shinobi. For some reason, Yashamaru was the only one spared.

“You see, I could care less about Suna,” the woman said, voice pleasant like she was talking about the weather. But her eyes and expression were icy, something almost _feral_ in those crimson depths. “But you messed with Gaara, making me very, very angry.”

She hopped off the branch, landing on the ground soundlessly. Strolling up to the frozen Kazekage with her hands held behind her back, she continued speaking.

“I can take a guess as to what you’re planning,” she whispered softly, leaning into Rasa’s face. “You want the Ichibi to break loose, wreck Konoha as much as he can, killing little Gaara in the process. If the kid didn’t lose control within a certain timeframe, you would send assassins after him, forcing his hand.”

Crimson eyes flashed with barely restrained rage, killing intent spike in response and crushing Rasa into the ground. His body shook, terror overwhelming him. The woman hadn’t even raised a finger to attack him, yet her presence was terrifying enough to send him, a veteran of the Third Shinobi War, into a terror-stricken state.

“Win-win, isn’t it?” she murmured, voice like velvet, serene despite the picture of horror she painted. “You can get rid of your unstable Jinchuuriki, legally destroy Konoha a little and get your Bijuu back. A pretty good plan, actually.”

Rasa gulped, not wanting to hear what she was going to say next but having no way to stop her. Facing down a Bijuu on a near daily basis was nothing compared to this woman. He couldn’t even move a finger.

“Too bad it involves an innocent life.”

Now, the woman’s voice was shrouded in deep protectiveness, with a steel sharp enough to slice someone open if they were careless.

“No one will harm a hair on Gaara’s head. If someone does dare to try, they’d have more luck against an army compared to getting out of my sight alive.”

Oh, Rasa believed her. For all that she looked fragile, the woman delivering subtle threats to him could have killed him and his men at any time, powerful enough to paralyze them with pure killing intent. If she wanted to end their lives, nothing could save them.

“I’ll only give you one chance, Yondaime Kazekage,” she said after a long pause, finally releasing the Suna nin and letting them gasp for breath. “Stay away from Gaara.”

Rasa, managing to move his head, stared at her feet moving away from him, into the forest. “You’re from Konoha,” he rasped weakly, attempting to push himself up but his shaking body wasn’t cooperating. “That’s why you’re threatening us.”

“Am I?”

The woman stopped, looking back over her shoulder. One dark eyebrow was raised, amusement dancing in the single crimson eye Rasa could see.

“A lot of the people there can burn, for all I care,” she stated, a whimsical smile playing on her lips. But there was a dark edge to it that made the Suna nin shiver. “But since Gaara lives there now, I suppose I _am_ involved with them. Feel free to complain to them all you want; there’s no way to persecute someone who they don’t even know.”

With those parting words, the woman disappeared into the trees, taking with her the remnants of the oppressive aura. It was like she had never been there in the first place.

 _‘Just what kind of a monster have we provoked?’_ Rasa thought tiredly, running a shaky hand over his face. He could only hope that the mysterious woman wouldn’t get it into her head to attack his village or something. There was no way he could fend her off.

“I believe we should heed her warning, Kazekage-sama,” Yashamaru said drily, moving to help the man sit up. He had not interfered, having secretly wanted someone to tell off Rasa for his stupid actions. Looking after the best interests of Suna was a good thing but there was a limit to how utilitarian one could be, especially when it came to people.

Hopefully, Rasa would take the incident as a sorely needed reality check.

“Quiet, Yashamaru,” Rasa snapped, covering his eyes with a hand. “What can we do against a woman that powerful, anyway?”

The threat in her words was all too real and Rasa wasn’t willing to test his luck. He could only hope that his council would take his words seriously and not go too far. He did not want Suna to end up in ruins.

* * *

Back in Konoha, Hikari bit back maniacal laughter when the memories of her Kage Bunshin came to her. It was pretty funny to see the Kazekage all but shaking at the mere sight of her Henged form. She wasn’t sure if he’d prevent any assassination attempts on Gaara but at least he would think twice before trying anything.

Besides, no assassin was ever going to get past her.

Filing away the memories for later, Hikari tuned back into reality. She had introduced Gaara to Naruto, Karin and Manami; the two kids had immediately taken to bombarding the poor boy with questions about Suna, not put off by his hesitance. Instead, it only seemed to make Naruto and Karin more determined to get him to open up.

Manami had laughed at their enthusiasm and had settled into the role of mediator, charming Gaara with her kind personality. It probably helped that she reminded him a little of Yashamaru, both adults having a calm demeanour with a core of steel.

Hikari knew that years of trauma wouldn’t be wiped away so easily, but when Gaara managed a quiet giggle and shyly held his arms out to her for a hug, she decided that it was a good start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it?
> 
> Did I do justice to our dear Panda-chan?  
> Let me know in the comments!
> 
> Posted: 21/11/2020


	17. Moving forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara settles in at his new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

A small body squirming against her side woke her and Hikari opened bleary eyes to the darkness of her room, only slightly illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the gaps in the curtains. It was the fourth night that week and second time that night she’d been woken way before dawn and though she was getting used to it, she would have preferred a full night’s sleep.

“Hikari-nee-san?”

Turning to lie on her left, Hikari smiled at Gaara, who took it as permission to burrow into her chest. In response, she wrapped her arms around him, humming lightly. The vibrations the action produced were soothing and the child relaxed, his shoulders slumping as the tension bled out from his muscles.

“Nightmares, Gaara?”

Her only answer was a short nod. Hikari bit back a sigh and instead ran a hand through the boy’s hair. Being woken up by Gaara multiple times per night was becoming a regular occurrence; he wasn’t used to sleeping for over thirty minutes at a time and shot up screaming due to the memory of Shukaku taking over his body if he ever crossed the one-hour mark.

Since then, his room had been marked with privacy seals, with a trigger to wake Hikari if Gaara ever had a violent nightmare. He never calmed down with Manami and the next day was filled with grumpy five-year-old zombies, something that was worse to handle.

Fortunately, Manami and Karin were on the floor above them and the privacy seals helped not bother Naruto and Kakashi. Hikari had taken on the responsibility to care for Gaara and she wasn’t going to push it off onto someone else.

Not to mention only she was able to soothe the boy.

“Can you try going back to sleep now?” Hikari whispered, pressing a kiss into Gaara’s hair. He nodded, fingers twisting into the material of her shirt. She never once pushed him away, always holding him close in the aftermath of a nightmare, letting him seek comfort and assurance from her presence.

Thankfully, Gaara drifted off in a few minutes, making the girl sigh in relief. It wasn’t that she couldn’t deal with him but he needed the rest. The lack of proper sleep in his life so far hadn’t had much effect on his body and her Gaara had grown up well, but she still worried.

 _‘Not sure if I’ll fall asleep again though,’_ Hikari thought wryly, tugging the blanket over their shoulders. Most of the time, she never slept once woken, simply lying in bed until it was time to get up.

That was the case that day as well; the sun rose and the kids woke up, bright and cheerful. On a normal day, Hikari would have been just as loud and enthusiastic as them but the culmination of the last four days left her a little too exhausted.

Manami, bless that woman, took one look at the dull redhead and instantly took charge of the kids, distracting them while Hikari went about making a quick breakfast. Once the food was gone and Naruto and Karin were loudly debating what to do, with a quiet Gaara sitting next to them, Manami slipped into the kitchen to help with the dishes.

“Are you alright, Hikari-chan?” she asked, taking care to keep her voice low but unable to hide the concern on her features. A frown tugged at her lips upon noticing the drowsiness in the usually bright blue eyes and the faint dark circles. “You seem tired.”

A short sigh escaped the younger redhead and Hikari set down on the plate she had been wiping, bracing herself against the counter with both hands. “I haven’t been sleeping properly,” she admitted, offering the woman a weak smile. “Gaara’s nightmares…”

Manami winced, recalling the first night the child had spent at their home. He had woken up screaming bloody murder, even though the connection between him and Shukaku had been broken. Years of trauma didn’t disappear that easily.

“I see…last night too?”

“Yeah. He’s getting better; he drops off to sleep almost immediately but still wakes up at least two to three times every night.”

Manami couldn’t help but give a smile at the obvious but failed attempt at being positive. “That’s good for Gaara. But not so much for you. I would offer to help but his reaction to me…”

“Hmm. I don’t really mind though.”

“Regardless, you’re also a child, Hikari-chan,” Manami said pointedly, raising an eyebrow when Hikari looked like she was going to protest. “A very mature and powerful one, yes, but a child nonetheless.”

Hikari bit back the instinctive rebuttal that bubbled up, firmly reminding herself that she was in a nine-year-old’s body, not the twenty-one she was mentally. She just did not have the endurance of an adult.

“…I suppose.”

“Tell you what,” Manami started, putting the dried utensils in their respective places. “I’ll take the children out today, perhaps to that little clearing in the forest. You get some sleep.”

“But-”

“Kakashi-kun and Tenzo-kun will be with us,” she spoke over the girl, not allowing any objections. “We’ll be safe, Hikari-chan; don’t worry. Maybe we’ll even make it a picnic and you can have the house to yourself for the whole day.”

Hikari stared at the determined woman, equal parts amused and exasperated. “I’m not going to win this one, am I?”

That earned her a sunny smile.

“Nope!”

* * *

Shisui jumped from branch to branch, making his way to the Uzumaki house. It was the first time he was visiting in over a week, while he would have been there almost daily. The reason was the newest addition to the collection of redheads residing in Konoha.

The Ichibi no Jinchuuriki, Gaara.

He had not been present to witness it himself, but Shisui had heard the story repeated over and over by the other shinobi. Each person had had their own emotions and reactions, varying from pure awe to outright fear.

After all, who _wouldn’t_ fear a girl who went up against an out-of-control Jinchuuriki and came out unscathed?

Shisui had wanted to see his friend as soon as he had heard the news but Hikari had asked him and Itachi to stay away, for a little while.

 _“Gaara is still emotionally unstable,”_ her note had said, which the fox twins, Kira and Kaya, had brought the two Uchiha boys. _“He almost had a breakdown at the sight of Manami-san and Kashi-nii. I’d appreciate it if you two could wait for some time, until it’s safe for both of you and him.”_

Honestly speaking, Shisui wasn’t worried about the boy hurting anyone. Hikari was a brilliant Seal Master and even if she couldn’t fix Gaara’s seal, she would have a way to help him at the minimum. He was more concerned about how _she_ was holding up. The redhead had a tendency to take on too much and he wanted to see if she was alright.

About an hour ago, a message had arrived, informing Shisui that he was free to visit the Uzumaki house. He had cheered, his patience paying off as he didn’t have a mission and could go immediately. But Itachi had training with his Genin instructor, since he had been allowed to take the Chuunin Exams, despite not having a team.

 _‘I suppose it’s because the Exams are conducted internally and teamwork tests are a moot point when you’re up against allies,’_ Shisui thought, snickering as he recalled the pout on Itachi’s face when he realized he had other responsibilities. He had promised to come over as soon as training was over though.

Spotting his destination as the trees thinned, Shisui used a Shunshin to cross the remaining distance and appear right in front of the door. He had been keyed into the barrier around the house months ago and he was free to come and go as he pleased.

“Hikari-chan?” he called, slipping inside and kicking off his shoes. The house was unusually quiet; normally, there would be childish laughter in the air at this time of the day, Naruto and Karin playing or doing minor training exercises that Hikari passed off as games. But now it was silent enough for him to hear his own heartbeat.

“Hikari-chan?”

_‘Is no one home?’_

Just as he was considering calling one of his summons to help find his friend, a voice called from the direction of the living room, “In here, Shisui.”

Shisui blinked; Hikari’s voice sounded strangely muffled, and was that a trace of exhaustion?

He stepped into the living room as instructed and stopped short. Hikari was pushing herself up, having been lying on the couch. One hand rose to rub her eyes or he assumed so; her hair was loose and all over the place, messy in a way it never was. A blue eye peeked out from the curtain of red, blinking once before the girl huffed and pulled her hair out of her face.

“Are you okay, Hikari-chan?” Shisui asked, tone worried as he strode over and knelt next to the couch. His sharp eyes didn’t miss the faint dark circles under her eyes and he cupped her cheek, running his thumb over the purplish bruises. “You look very tired.”

Hikari hummed, leaning into the touch and eyes fluttering shut. “You’re the second person to ask me that today,” she said, a little amused and annoyed that her poor physical state was so visible. “I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Why not?”

“Gaara. He has really violent nightmares and no one but me can get him to calm down.”

Shisui winced. “Poor kid. Isn’t he only five or something? Did Suna screw him over that badly?”

At his statement, Hikari’s expression twisted into a scowl, fortunately not aimed at him. “His dad sent assassins at him and called him a monster, not to mention the Ichibi wreaking havoc on his mind. If he’s fine after all that, I’d be _more_ concerned.”

“…”

When there was silence instead of the reply she had expected, Hikari looked up to see Shisui watching her with an odd expression. “…assassins?” he repeated, tone deadly soft.

“Yeah. Pretty messed up, isn’t it?”

Shisui only nodded tightly, not daring to speak in case he accidentally directed his anger at the girl in front of him. It took a special kind of cruelty to sacrifice a child to a beast then call the innocent a monster, to send someone to kill the child. Sometimes he had to wonder if the shinobi world would ever change its ways.

Taking out a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Shisui allowed the rage to drain from him, aware that it would do no good for anyone. “Good thing he’s in your hands now,” he commented lightly, grinning at his friend. “If anyone can help him, it’s you. Although it’ll be even better if you could take care of yourself.”

“I’m trying,” Hikari sighed, shoulders slumping. It wasn’t her fault that most of her war habits hadn’t faded in the least. Waking up to a disturbance only set her on high alert, expecting an attack or something of the sort. There was nothing she could to convince her brain that she was safe.

Eyeing her friend with a hint of contemplation, Hikari nodded to herself and tugged on his shirt, pulling him onto the couch. Shisui was amused but didn’t protest the manhandling, grin widening when she pressed into his side. The redhead would normally hold everyone but the children and a few adults at arm’s length, the only exceptions being himself and Itachi. She took every possible opportunity to wrangle a hug or cuddle out of them.

Not that they didn’t do the same.

“You’ve grown taller again,” Hikari murmured into the teenager’s shirt, relaxing at the familiar warmth and chakra signature. Shisui had been only a few inches taller than her when they had first met. A few months ago she could lay her head on his shoulder comfortably. Now she barely came up to his upper arm. “Not fair.”

“I’m four years older than you,” Shisui pointed out, laughter in his voice at the girl’s sulking. He managed to pull his arm free from her grip, wrapping the limb around her waist and tucking her into his side. “You have time to grow.”

“Maybe…you’ll still be taller though.”

“That’s a weird thing to be bothered by.”

Hikari didn’t reply immediately, eyes drooping as sleep pulled her into its embrace. Nestled into Shisui’s side, she felt safe and that was enough to make her high-strung state start to ease. “…not bothered,” the expected protest came, broken in between by a yawn. “Now shut up and be my pillow.”

A chuckle slipped out his mouth at the girl’s adorable actions and Shisui shot a fond look at the redhead snuggled against his chest. He settled on the couch, adjusting the two of them so that they were comfortable. Hikari needed the rest and he had nothing to do until Itachi arrived anyway.

“Sleep well, Hikari-chan.”

* * *

It was near noon when Itachi appeared in front of the Uzumaki house, having finished his training. He considered the lack of noise and wondered if there was no one home before discarding that notion. The two chakra signatures he had become very familiar with over the years were present inside the house.

Shisui’s shoes at the entrance also proved it and the ten-year-old followed his senses, finding his friends in the living room.

Itachi raised a questioning eyebrow at the sight that greeted him: Shisui was sitting on the couch, reading a book that he held in one hand while the other ran through crimson hair. For curled up tightly next to him, with her head on the older boy’s lap, was a sleeping Hikari.

His cousin raised his head, dark eyes meeting a similar pair, and smiled. “Hey, Itachi,” Shisui greeted, voice pitched low so as to not wake the girl. “How was training?”

“It was fine,” came the reply. Itachi stepped closer to the pair, a little surprised when Hikari didn’t wake but also aware that she never once considered him a threat. “Is she alright?”

“The Suna kid, Gaara, he has nightmares, or perhaps night terrors, to be accurate,” Shisui sighed, dropping the book on the arm of the couch. “He apparently only calms down when Hikari-chan’s present so she hasn’t been sleeping properly.”

Itachi nodded in understanding; upon a closer inspection, he had noticed the dark circles under the girl’s eyes. “Where are the others?”

“Manami-san took them out to give Hikari-chan a chance to rest.”

“I see. Wouldn’t she be more comfortable on a bed?” Itachi asked, moving to a closet near the stairs to get a blanket. He draped it over the redhead’s body, smiling faintly when she subconsciously grabbed onto it and pulled the cloth tighter around herself.

Shisui huffed, equal parts amused and exasperated. “She fell asleep before I could even try to tell her that. And as long as she gets some sleep, I’m not complaining.”

He returned to his book, holding it a little to the side when Itachi perched on the arm of the couch to look at it. “Isn’t this one of Hikari’s Fuuinjutsu journals?” the younger Uchiha asked, recognizing the redhead’s distinctive handwriting. Her calligraphy was beautiful, something that she said was necessary for drawing perfect seals. “Are you allowed to read it?”

“I have no clue.”

Grinning when Itachi shot him a deadpan stare, Shisui continued, “If it’s something we shouldn’t get our hands on, Hikari-chan would have secured it. Besides, I don’t even understand half of this stuff.”

That piqued Itachi’s curiosity and he skimmed through the first few lines, brow furrowing as he attempted to apply what he had learned in Fuuinjutsu over the past months. He could say that he and Shisui were fairly proficient in the art, but nowhere near Hikari’s level yet. The girl simply kept learning more and more.

“Is she trying to… mix Iryo ninjutsu and Fuuinjutsu?”

“ _Tried_ might be more accurate.”

Both Shisui and Itachi blinked then looked down to meet sleepy blue eyes.

“Sorry, Hikari-chan; did we wake you?”

Hikari yawned, stretching until her toes brushed against the other end of the couch and shifted to lie on her back, head still resting on Shisui’s thigh. “No, I was already half-awake from the time Itachi arrived.”

Her eyes darted to the book in the older Uchiha’s hands and a slight grimace twisted her features. “I don’t mind you guys reading that notebook,” she said in response to the boys’ previous discussion. “It’s a compilation of the various failed experiments I’ve tried over the years.”

“Huh.”

Shisui looked back at the book, taking in the scribbles and crossed out words, the margins littered with half-constructed ideas. For all that the writing was pretty, the content itself was a mess and rather chaotic. It sure did reflect the girl’s train of thought.

“Was this really an attempt to mix Iryo ninjutsu with Fuuinjutsu?”

“Sort of? Medics aren’t usually on frontlines and having something that could patch up serious wounds until a medic could be seen would have been nice.”

Itachi took the book, studying the theories Hikari had written down and trying to make sense of it. “It seems like you had trouble in sealing healing chakra?”

“Yeah. Unlike elemental chakra, healing chakra isn’t so easily contained and depends on the user. So the matrix collapsed on itself and rendered the chakra useless,” Hikari explained, sitting up and leaning against Shisui so that she could see the book too. Experimenting with Fuuinjutsu was one of her favorite pastimes and even if most of her attempts ended in failure, they were learning experiences.

“I’m not saying it can’t be done, just that _that_ method failed. Who knows? Maybe there’s something that would work.”

The two boys exchanged bemused glances, wondering how their friend’s brain worked and why she threw out completely groundbreaking ideas like they were commonplace. Shisui focused back on the book, squinting to read a tiny note at the corner of the page with the failed matrix. “It sounds like you abandoned the idea, though.”

“I did. The one thing I did find out from that experiment was that it’s easier to learn Iryo ninjutsu from scratch compared to mastering Fuuinjutsu enough to use such a delicate seal.” Hikari waved a hand dismissively, stifling a yawn, “Why should I put so much effort into something that almost no one can use?”

“Point,” the boy conceded.

“You have a lot of ideas in here, though,” Itachi mused, flipping the pages as he skimmed the contents of the notebook. At least two-thirds of the stuff in it flew over his head but what he could understand was pretty interesting.

“Hmm…I suppose? They’re just ideas. I haven’t put much thought into most of those.”

“Yet the fact that you’ve even thought of them proves that you have a very creative mind.”

Hikari snorted, finally picking herself off of Shisui and sitting on the couch properly. “You’re not the first to say that. Now put that away and come give me a hug, Itachi!”

Said Uchiha shook his head in amusement at the demand but complied, placing the book on the coffee table and stepping in front of the girl. Hikari wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight for a moment before withdrawing, pulling him down to sit at her other side.

“So how’s the training for the Chuunin Exams going?” she asked the ten-year-old curiously. She had known from her world that Itachi had taken the Exams when he had been ten and joined ANBU a year later. A passing comment from Shisui a couple weeks back told her that it was the same in the current dimension.

“It’s fine.”

Hikari laughed, not bothered by the curt answer. She knew her friend well enough to understand that he just didn’t know what to say. “I know you’ll win the whole thing, so do your best.”

Chuckling at the faint blush and the small smile on his face as Itachi nodded in response to the redhead, Shisui threw an arm around the girl’s shoulders and pulled her into a half-hug, asking, “When are you going to become a shinobi yourself? You could have been a Jounin already!”

“I was actually planning to ask Jiji to register me as a Genin and nominate me for the Chuunin Exams this year,” Hikari admitted sheepishly. Now that Naruto and Karin were a little older, with Manami there to watch over them, she had thought it would be a good idea.

“But you’re not going to.”

“No,” she agreed with a short nod. “I can’t leave Gaara yet. If I become a Chuunin now, I would have to go on missions outside the village and that’s not viable.”

Not to mention what Danzo would do without her presence to act as a buffer between him and the kids. Knowing him, the man was likely to be frothing at the mouth at the fact that yet another Jinchuuriki was out of his grasp.

“Aww, I was hoping to snatch you and Itachi for my team,” Shisui complained with a pout. “Way to crush my dreams, Hikari-chan.”

Itachi chuckled, interjecting himself into the conversation. “Even if she joined, you probably wouldn’t be given two fresh Chuunin, Shisui.”

“And you’re ANBU, Shisui,” Hikari added drily, raising an eyebrow when the teen startled. “What, did you really think I didn’t know? You’re not that good an actor.”

“Seriously, I can’t keep any secrets from you.”

“You probably could if you _tried_.”

“Meh, too much work. It’s not like you’re going to sell me out anyway.”

* * *

Itachi glanced at the redhead out of the corner of his eye, wondering how he should frame his question. He didn’t want to come off as rude or insensitive. Though there weren’t many ways he _could_ ask, actually.

“Just spit out whatever you’re thinking about, Itachi,” Hikari murmured, glazed eyes staring at the scroll in her hands but clearly talking to him.

Meeting Shisui’s eyes over her head and feeling distinctly annoyed when the other Uchiha only shrugged, Itachi asked quietly, “Hikari, how did you know how to deal with Gaara-kun?”

The Uzumaki stilled and dropped the scroll on her lap, gaze sharpening when she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes had lost that far-off look but he could see a trace of confusion in them as she spoke, “What do you mean?”

“Even though it appeared like you had charged in recklessly, that wasn’t the case, was it? You knew what you were doing. You always have.”

That last bit was a reference to what Hikari had done two years ago when she had first met Shisui. To the outside observer, it might seem like she had been improvising but those who knew her were able to tell that she had planned most of her actions.

There was no way she would have looked so assured otherwise.

Hikari stared at Itachi, face expressionless. The tension rose in the room as seconds ticked by in silence and just when Shisui was about to say something to ease the atmosphere, the girl chuckled.

“You’re way more observant than I give you credit for,” she mused, amusement battling for place with weariness in her eyes. At that instant, she looked older than her physical looks implied. “That’s right; I did know what I was doing. Gaara has been hurt all his life and if I had let the shinobi attack him, I’m pretty sure at least a quarter of Konoha would have been leveled.”

Shisui swallowed, not liking the implication that they almost had had a Bijuu loose in their village. “Is the Ichibi really that bad?”

Hikari tapped her chin in thought, trying to figure out how to word it. “I suppose he’s the most bloodthirsty of the lot?” she said, giving up on being diplomatic. Her friends wouldn’t care either way. “The seal Suna used only made things worse.”

“Huh, really? How so?”

“Calling that rubbish a seal is an insult to Fuuinjutsu,” the redhead’s face twisted in disgust and anger, making the boys chuckle. “Suna is known for its puppets and poison, not for Fuuinjutsu for a reason. Sealing living beings, even if it’s a sentient chakra being, is _not_ as easy as sealing inanimate objects.”

That was something Shisui and Itachi knew, from their Fuuinjutsu studies. There was a reason why Hikari had been adamant that they understood all the theory and were proficient in sealing literally any inanimate object before even attempting to seal a tiny bit of chakra.

Chakra was never meant to be stagnant and storing large amounts of chakra without proper precautions and contingencies was a recipe for disaster.

“And sealing Bijuu in humans is _way_ different from sealing them in an artifact of some sort,” Hikari continued. “Suna originally kept the Ichibi in a giant tea kettle -don’t look at me like that, I don’t know why they did that- and Gaara is his third Jinchuuriki. He was the only one out of the Kazekage’s children who was compatible with the Bijuu.”

“Wait, go back a bit,” Shisui interrupted, expression incredulous. “ _Compatible_ with the Bijuu?”

“Yep. It’s not strictly necessary unless the Jinchuuriki intends to use the Bijuu’s chakra but that was the reason Suna wanted a Jinchuuriki.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Of course you didn’t. Information on Jinchuuriki isn’t publicized.”

“Why not?”

“The more important question is how do _you_ know that, Hikari?” Itachi cut across Shisui, brow furrowed in confusion. “Even with your prowess in Fuuinjutsu, I’m sure that Bijuu and Jinchuuriki are on a different level.”

That was indeed an important question, one that had an easy yet difficult answer.

But it wasn’t time yet.

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that yet,” Hikari replied, apologetic but firm. “That goes for your original question as well, Itachi.”

The younger Uchiha held the girl’s gaze, studying her emotions. He noted that her apology was genuine but she wouldn’t budge no matter how hard he pried. In the end, he had to concede and inclined his head in acknowledgement. “You will tell us one day?”

“One day,” Hikari confirmed with a relieved smile. If things went as in her timeline, there was another two years before Shisui’s death and three years before the Uchiha Massacre, something she wasn’t sure would happen under the same conditions, if they even happened at all. Things were so different that she could no longer predict what could possibly happen.

Danzo’s sudden silence was another foreboding occurrence.

With that, the topic of Hikari’s foreknowledge was dropped and the boys pursued another line of questioning. “You implied that you know a lot about Jinchuuriki, Hikari-chan,” Shisui started, draping himself over her back and resting his chin atop her head. “What did you do for Gaara then?”

Rolling her eyes at the older Uchiha’s clingy behavior, Hikari dug an elbow into his stomach playfully, making him huff but he didn’t let go. Resigned to having an Uchiha koala for a while, she replied, “I changed the seal containing the Ichibi.”

“When you say ‘changed’…”

“Removed the old one and placed a new seal. What else?”

Itachi stared at the nonchalant girl, wondering if she didn’t truly realize the magnitude of what she had done. Even war veterans had cowered at a mere hint of the Bijuu’s power, but here she was, casually saying that she had broken the first seal that had held the Ichibi back and replaced it with a better one.

“You aren’t the slightest bit afraid of a Bijuu, are you, Hikari-chan?” Shisui asked wryly, tightening his arms around the redhead’s waist a little. He hoped that her courage wouldn’t get her killed one day.

“Nope!”

_‘After everything I’ve experienced, it would be silly to be scared of Shukaku.’_

Feeling the faint pangs of hunger, Hikari poked and prodded the koala on her back until Shisui released her with a grumble. “Anyone want lunch?”

“Sure. What’re you making?”

“Something simple, I think. Not in the mood for much.”

Hikari slipped into the kitchen and examined the contents of the fridge. “Sandwiches fine with you two?”

“You should know by now that we’d eat anything you make, Hikari-chan,” Shisui teased as he took a seat at the table. Itachi nodded in agreement; it was a proven fact that Hikari’s cooking was delicious and the two Uchiha knew of at least ten fights that had broken out at the Jounin standby station when Kakashi had decided to share some of his food with the other Jounin.

Everyone knew that the Hatake was doing it on purpose, especially since he was technically ANBU, but when it was great food on the line, it was worth it.

While Hikari busied herself with preparing the fillings, the boys prepared the bread and tea. Since they were done first, they decided to continue their conversation from earlier. “Hikari-chan?” Shisui called to get the girl’s attention. When she hummed in acknowledgment, he asked, “Can you tell us how you fixed Gaara’s seal?”

“Honestly? I just used a powerful chakra suppression seal,” the Uzumaki revealed absently. “I only needed the Ichibi to stay dormant for five minutes, max.”

Shisui choked on the sip of water he had just taken, coughing to get the fluid out of his lungs. “You’re joking, right? A chakra suppression seal on a _Bijuu_? That’s like using a sheet of paper to block a rampant river!”

When Hikari only turned to stare at him in confusion, Shisui’s jaw dropped. “You were serious?! How?!”

“Like I said, it was a temporary measure. Breaking a seal is simple once you know what you’re dealing with.”

“You studied the original seal first and only broke it when you knew how to do it quickly,” Itachi deduced, patting the other Uchiha’s back. “Then you placed the new seal.”

“Correct.”

Shisui sighed, giving up on understanding the redhead. “Every time I think I’ve gotten you figured out, you turn around and do something like this. Alright then, what seal did you use?”

“The Shisho Fuuin.”

Silence.

Itachi and Shisui stared. The Shisho Fuuin, or the Four Symbols Seal, required a high level of talent and technique to perform. Hikari was talented for sure, but they would have thought that the Shisho Fuuin would be above her current level.

Apparently, _not_.

“Why didn’t you go the whole way and use the Hakke Fuuin instead?” Itachi muttered, uncharacteristically sarcastic.

“I did consider it,” Hikari shot back, mouth curled in a mocking grin as she regarded the two Uchiha. She was well aware that she was shocking them but couldn’t resist trolling them further. “But I decided to let Gaara choose for himself in the future if he wants it. There’s a chance that he would not want to use the Ichibi’s chakra, thanks to his bad experiences with it.”

“Of course you did. Why are we even surprised? You got rid of the Caged Bird Seal and created a better one for the Hyuuga at seven; of course you can use the Shisho Fuuin and Hakke Fuuin.” Shisui pointed the knife in his hand at the Uzumaki, attempting a threatening posture. “You are so teaching us everything!”

Hikari snorted and shook her head, turning back to her task of slicing tomatoes. “The two of you are already pretty good,” she remarked, a hint of pride in her words. It was the truth; Shisui and Itachi were already halfway to Seal Master level. They only lacked experience.

Give them a couple of years and they’d probably be close to Jiraiya’s skills.

* * *

The trio returned to the living room shortly after their light lunch, settling down for a quiet afternoon. Somehow, they ended up in a cuddle pile on the floor; Itachi was leaning against the couch, with Hikari’s head on his lap and Shisui sprawled over the girl’s stomach, the redhead not bothered by the weight.

“Are you going to sleep again, Hikari?” Itachi asked, glancing past the scroll in his hands at the redhead. Hikari’s complexion was better and the dark circles had faded, thanks to the rest she had gotten plus her healing factor. A few more hours of sleep wouldn’t hurt, though.

“I might doze off but I don’t feel tired anymore,” she replied, letting her eyes close. “On another matter, would you two like to meet Gaara?”

Shisui raised his head, raising an eyebrow in question. “Is that alright?”

“I asked first,” Hikari shot back, poking him in the shoulder. “But I think it should be okay. The house is a familiar and safe place, so he’s pretty much meeting you on his turf.”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Good,” the redhead smirked, “because the others are just outside the door.”

“Wait, what?”

The sound of the door opening and childish laughter filled the air a moment later, followed by Manami’s fond but exasperated voice, “Now, now; keep it down. Hikari-chan might still be asleep, you know?”

“Too late for that, Manami-san,” Hikari called cheerfully, extricating herself from the two Uchiha and getting to her feet. “I’m already up.”

“Nee-san!”

Three high-pitched gleeful shrieks rang out in response to the girl’s voice and the pitter patter of tiny feet echoed through the hall as Naruto, Karin and Gaara ran into the room. Hikari laughed as they tackled her, allowing herself to fall to the floor at the impact.

“Hey, midgets,” she greeted them, ruffling their hair before winding her arms around the trio. “How was the picnic?”

“It was great!” Naruto beamed, sitting on the older girl’s stomach. “You should have come too!”

“Maybe next time, Naruto.”

Karin tugged on Hikari’s hair, in an attempt to get the latter’s attention. “Can we invite Hinata and Ino next time? I think it will be a lot of fun.”

“If they can come,” the older redhead agreed easily with a smile. “Now, is that mud I see on your clothes, Karin, Naruto?”

The two aforementioned children exchanged wide-eyed glances and shook their heads vehemently, chorusing, “No…”

Unfortunately for them, Manami interjected drily, “Probably more than just mud, Hikari-chan. They made it a competition to see who could find and jump into the most puddles and ditches. I’m surprised they aren’t dirtier than this.”

“Mom!”

“Mana-oba-san! No fair!”

“Oh?” Hikari looked at Gaara, who was just as clean as he had been in the morning. “Gaara is squeaky clean though.”

“He didn’t participate,” Manami replied, casting a smile towards the now shy boy. “He’s an absolute dear, unlike two little devils I know.”

Cue the protests.

Stifling her laughter, Hikari pushed Naruto and Karin off of her and towards Manami. “You two need a bath,” she declared, not budging when the pair fixed her with puppy dog eyes. They might be adorable but no way was she caving to them. “Go on. If you’re good, I _might_ be convinced to get you guys some chocolate tomorrow.”

The bribe did the trick; Naruto and Karin immediately perked up, eyes gleaming at the thought of a treat, even if it was for the next day. They raced each other up the stairs, Manami following them after briefing hugging Hikari and greeting the Uchiha boys.

“Those two are as lively as ever,” Shisui remarked with a chuckle, staring in the direction the two kids had disappeared. He was aware of the other kid in the room but didn’t want to put pressure on Gaara by staring at him.

Hikari hummed, patting Gaara’s head when the younger redhead clung to her, peeking over her shoulder at the older boys. “Would you like to say hello, Gaara?”

* * *

Gaara watched the two strangers in his new home; they had a few similar features, like dark hair and almost identical eyes. Neither of them made a move to approach him or talk to him, which he preferred. He wanted to study them before he chose to interact.

If it had been his father, Gaara would have had to greet them regardless of his feelings, even if they glared at him, or flinched away from him. Those experiences had hurt and he didn’t want to feel that again anytime soon.

Hikari was completely different from his father and even Yashamaru. She didn’t mind if he woke up screaming or clung to her all the time. It was strange, the way she simply accommodated him and went about her work until Gaara felt stable enough to let her go.

She let him decide for himself when he wanted to meet and interact with new people, but insistent that he did so when he felt comfortable. If Gaara told her at that moment, that he didn’t want to talk to the two boys in front of him, Hikari would accept his choice and let it be for the time being.

So, Gaara studied them.

They were clearly older than him, the boy with the curly hair appearing to be a few years older than Hikari and the one with long hair was around her age. Considering that Hikari was comfortable enough to have them at her back, she probably trusted them a lot.

And he was willing to trust her judgement.

After all, Naruto and Karin called him brother like Hikari had promised, were willing to play with him and talk with him. They were the siblings he had longed for in Temari and Kankuro.

Gaara had originally been awkward around Manami, her similarity to Yashamaru drawing him in while at the same time making him wary. But she had almost immediately dashed that impression, unafraid to touch him or to pull him into an embrace.

He had panicked at the silver-haired teen, Kakashi, but the latter had kept his distance and simply waved at him in greeting once Gaara had settled down, never approaching him on his own volition but willing to entertain the five-year-old if asked. A strange person, but someone Gaara was beginning to trust nonetheless.

That was why he nodded in response to Hikari’s question and stepped out of the safety of her arms, staring at the two older boys. “Hello,” he said a quiet voice, almost inaudible. “I’m Gaara.”

The boy with the long hair was the first to respond, giving the little redhead a soft smile. “Nice to meet you, Gaara-kun,” he greeted in an equally quiet voice. “My name is Itachi.”

Gaara liked the other’s voice instantly; it was soft and even, like the speaker rarely ever raised his voice. The five-year-old hesitantly returned the smile, shifting his gaze to the other boy.

“And I’m Shisui!” the older boy grinned, eyes crinkled in genuine happiness. Gaara wasn’t privy to the teen’s thoughts though, which were full of rage. While Shisui was happy to meet the newest addition to the Uzumaki house, seeing that Gaara was so small for his age stoked his anger towards Suna.

He kept a tight lid on it though, not wanting to frighten the child. Gaara was not responsible for the stupidity of ignorant people.

“Hello,” Gaara repeated, smiling a little at Shisui. The curly haired boy reminded him a bit of Naruto; they had similar cheerful attitudes and a happy-go-lucky kind of charm. “Umm…the two of you aren’t scared of me?”

Itachi and Shisui blinked, exchanging bemused glances before shaking their heads in unison. “Should we be?” Shisui shrugged, not quite sure why Gaara had asked that. “All I see is a cute and shy kid.”

“…but I’ve killed people.”

Gaara had wanted the answer to that question from a lot of people. Even though Naruto and Karin were the same age as him, they didn’t have his experiences and he knew that they wouldn’t understand. But older people would.

Hikari had already shown that she didn’t care about the Bijuu in him and Manami probably knew as well, not letting it affect her actions.

So he wanted to know if Itachi and Shisui would be bothered.

Konoha was turning out to be different from Suna, where he was always glared at, hated and feared. Though there were people in Konoha who displayed the same emotions, most simply ignored him if Gaara didn’t affect their life.

But if these people were going to be around often, Gaara would like them to be _his_ friends too.

Shisui chuckled, raising a hand slowly and setting it on the child’s head when Gaara didn’t react negatively. He gently ruffled the short strands, saying, “Perhaps, but I don’t think you wanted to, kiddo. Those people were trying to hurt you, right?”

“But…”

“We won’t judge,” Itachi spoke up this time, reassuring the boy. He understood where Gaara was coming from and was a little upset that a child born in peacetime had to see the darker part of life so soon.

“My sand…I can’t control it all the time…”

Shisui squinted at the boy, Itachi sighing resignedly next to him. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you are looking for reasons to push us away.”

Gaara’s flinch and Hikari’s expression told the two Uchiha that _that_ was _exactly_ the case, making them wonder how badly the younger redhead’s psyche was affected. It couldn’t be good for his mental health.

“Will you come here, Gaara-kun?” Itachi asked in a gentle voice, patting his lap. Gaara looked back at Hikari nervously, and when she only nodded encouragingly, got up on shaking legs to make his way to the younger Uchiha. He stopped in front of the older boy and Itachi didn’t force him to sit down, taking his hands instead.

“You’re worried that people might hurt you and if you kill them to protect yourself, we’ll hate you. Correct?”

A timid nod.

That earned a chuckle from Shisui, the teen leaning to the side so that he was pressed against Itachi and in Gaara’s line of sight. “First of all, I dare anyone to touch a hair on your head with Hikari-chan and us around. Second, you should _definitely_ protect yourself if some idiot tries to attack you.”

Wide teal colored eyes stared at the Uchiha, a hint of tears shimmering in them. “You’ll protect me?”

Expression softening when the five-year-old’s tiny hands trembled in his grasp, Itachi nodded, telegraphing his movements as he drew the little redhead into a hug, like he had seen Hikari do many times. “Always.”

“It’s a promise,” Shisui agreed, his usually cheerful voice solemn as he wrapped one arm around Gaara’s back in a comforting manner.

With that, Gaara broke.

He choked on a sob, throwing himself at the startled Uchiha Heir. Hikari silently activated a privacy seal around the quartet, not wanting to alarm the rest of the house’s occupants. It was a private moment and she held back her own tears, looking down at her fists.

A hand came into her line of sight and Hikari looked up, finding Shisui smiling at her sadly. She took his hand, allowing herself to be pulled into the group hug. All three older children curled around Gaara, shielding him from the world as he cried his heart out.

It wasn’t long before Gaara cried himself to sleep, head resting against Itachi’s shoulder. The Uchiha didn’t complain, simply adjusting to better handle the slight weight. The child was very different from his own brother; Sasuke wasn’t one to internalize his negative emotions and pretty much everyone knew when he was upset. Gaara wasn’t like that though, drowning in his pain while desperately looking for someone to help him but not expecting it.

“He needed that,” said Hikari quietly, watching Shisui wipe Gaara’s tear-stained cheeks with his sleeve. “I think he wanted to ask that question really badly, but he didn’t need to do that with me, what with how we met. Manami-san and Kashi-nii also showed it via their actions, leaving him no one to verbally answer him.”

“Did you predict this?”

Hikari shook her head, leaning against Shisui when the teen curled an arm around her waist. After the emotional breakdown she had witnessed, she needed a little comfort herself. “I knew he was holding something back, but I didn’t know that it was this bad.”

They sat in silence for a while, only broken when Shisui asked in a deceptively light tone, “If I asked real nicely, do you think Sandaime-sama will let me assassinate the Kazekage?”

Itachi and Hikari stared at the older Uchiha, who looked completely serious. Then they looked at each other and promptly burst into laughter.

“Hey!” Shisui pouted at their mirth, inwardly patting himself on the back for lifting the somber atmosphere. “I meant it, you know!”

Wiping a tear, Hikari chucked, smiling warmly at the older Uchiha. “I know. I’d love to rip into that bastard too, but let’s not go that far, okay?”

She glanced back at Gaara, who was sleeping comfortably in Itachi’s arms. Reaching out a hand, she cradled his face and the boy instantly leaned into the touch, so very affectionate despite all of his bad experiences. He would not have to grow up lonely this time, wondering why everyone hated him and giving in to the darkness just to be able feel something that wasn’t pain.

“Why go after him when we already have a precious treasure here?”

* * *

Danzo leaned back in his chair, his cold expression hiding the fury simmering inside. _‘Damn that foolish Sarutobi!’_ he cursed internally. _‘Obtaining a powerful weapon only to let the boy play house with those brats!’_

If the Suna Jinchuuriki had been placed with anyone else, Danzo would have been able to easily get him off their hands. The boy’s weak seal and unstable behavior were landmines just waiting to be stepped on. Nobody in their right mind would be willing to house him once he started losing control.

But Hiruzen just had to give Sabaku no Gaara to _Uzumaki Hikari_.

That damned thorn in his side.

Ever since she had appeared in Konoha, all of his plans had fallen apart, starting with the Uchiha.

Danzo had no idea how she did it, but Uzumaki _had_ to be the reason that the villagers weren’t buying into the rumors about the Uchiha Clan anymore. There were no signs that she had interfered in any way, no matter how deep he dug. Yet it was too much of a coincidence that the rumors had started losing traction the instant she had appeared on the scene.

She also appeared to have obtained Hiruzen’s favor, the old Hokage treating her as if she was his own grandchild. First she got the Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki in her grasp, then managed to twist _Hatake Kakashi_ , of all people, around her finger.

If that wasn’t enough, Uzumaki struck up a friendship with Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui. From the reports his men brought him, Danzo knew that they were very close. The trio bonded far too quickly and far too tightly for anything he could attempt to break them apart.

Then came the incident that brought the irritating redhead into the spotlight: the Kumo incident.

While Danzo had suspected Kumo’s motives, he had thought he could use it to his advantage. That had been why he had leaked the girl’s existence to the other village; there was no way Kumo would give up the opportunity to get an Uzumaki, after their failed kidnapping of Uzumaki Kushina years ago.

But those idiots had failed, thanks to ingenuity on the girl’s part. She had outsmarted them even while at a disadvantage, rescuing the Hyuuga Heiress while at it. Her involvement in the incident had brought her to the attention of the Clan Heads, cutting down any possibility of whisking her away without anyone’s knowledge.

If that wasn’t enough, Uzumaki Hikari had called upon the Hyuuga's debt to her, somehow convincing them to get rid of their Caged Bird Seal.

_“Is it true that the Hyuuga’s Cage Bird Seal is no longer in use, Hiashi-dono?” Utatane Koharu asked the reserved Hyuuga Head, a hint of shock leaking into her voice despite her attempt to hide it._

_Everyone had dismissed the rumors at first, unable to believe that the Hyuuga Clan that valued their traditions more than anything else, had abolished the use of their seal. An even more preposterous rumor had spread, stating that the Main and Branch Family system had also been discarded._

_Most simply scoffed and refused to believe the rumors, rolling their eyes at those who insisted that it was the truth. It wasn’t until the Hyuuga twins had appeared in public at the same time, no one being able to tell the difference between them without the Caged Bird Seal on the younger twin that the rumors blew up._

_“It is the truth, Koharu-dono,” Hiashi inclined his head in agreement, expression a mask of serenity even if he didn’t actually feel calm. They had been able to hold onto the charade for a measly two months before the game was up._

_“But what about the Byakugan?! We cannot allow it to fall into enemy hands!”_

_In response, Hiashi pulled back his sleeve to reveal his arm. There was the mark of a small bird in flight, wings stretched out, inked in black just under his elbow. “This is a seal that will lock away the Byakugan upon a Hyuuga’s death, and can be placed anywhere on the body. Cutting off my arm will do nothing to stop its functionality.”_

_He covered his arm, an impressive glare on his face when the Advisors made to say something. “And that is all I will reveal on this matter, respected Advisors,” Hiashi said in a sharp tone, not willing to entertain the old fools. “It is a Clan matter, and it will remain as such.”_

Despite the Hyuuga Clan Head’s tight lipped stance on the issue, Danzo’s men had managed to unearth the truth, even it had taken them months to do so. One of the former Hyuuga Elders had been dissatisfied with the Clan’s changing power dynamics and had all but been willing to spill the truth once sufficiently inebriated.

The information had only spurred Danzo to gain control over the Uzumaki girl but once again, to his growing anger, he had failed.

Rumors did not affect her, protected as she was on all sides by _every shinobi clan in Konoha_. He couldn’t even get his Root to tail her anymore; Uzumaki was a sensor of unknown range and Danzo knew, as diligent as she seemed to be, she would have only improved her skills over time.

 _‘Uzumaki Hikari is becoming dangerous,’_ he thought, gritting his teeth. Danzo recalled the fearless way the nine-year-old girl had charged into a sand tornado created with the Ichibi’s chakra. _‘If I let her grow with no one to control her, she may become a threat.’_

If there was no way Danzo could get Uzumaki Hikari under his control, then the only way forward, in his mind, was assassination.

“But even so, there is no guarantee I can get the two Jinchuuriki,” the old war hawk murmured to himself, forcefully squashing his fury. It would do him no good to plan while emotionally driven. “Uzumaki Manami would probably be next in line for guardianship and if Uzumaki Hikari meets her demise, it is more than likely that the woman might seek protection from one of the clans.”

No, the best option was for the girl to come to him of her own volition or coerced in a way that would not arouse suspicion from others.

Danzo decided to put the annoying redhead out of his mind for the time being, and picked up one of the reports on his table. Even if he could no longer keep proper tabs on the girl, there were many others in the village that he had his eye on.

It wouldn’t do to ignore everyone else in favor of one girl, no matter how interesting she was.

“Oh?” The old man raised an eyebrow, reading through the report in his hand. It had details of a rather interesting development in the village. If he played his cards right, he could manipulate it in his favour. He had to be patient though; if he went too far too fast, there was a chance that he could lose the upper hand in the situation.

“Hinoe.”

A masked man with mousy-brown hair appeared in front of the Shimura’s desk, kneeling with his head bowed.

“Danzo-sama.”

“I have a mission for you,” Danzo stated passively, tossing the Root nin the report he had been reading. Hinoe caught it deftly, scanning the contents before placing it on the desk. “Have you understood the situation?”

“Yes, Danzo-sama.”

“Your mission is to keep an eye on this development, and if possible, exacerbate it. You will be working solo, and there is no time limit. You will continue as you are until I order otherwise. Understood?”

Hinoe verbalized his understanding, preparing to leave for his mission immediately when Danzo called to him, “Send in Kinoto.”

A few moments after the Root nin had left, another man appeared in the room. He did not wear a mask, the item currently clipped on his belt. His hair was black and spiky, narrow eyes dark and stern. There was a reason Danzo had called for this specific Root nin.

Kinoto was specialized in stealth and Kenjutsu, with some skill in Juinjutsu. For anything that required one to spend hours in the shadows and remain undetected, he was the best person for the job.

“I believe you are aware of Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi?”

When Kinoto nodded, Danzo continued, “Those two have great potential, especially since their mastery over their Sharingan is remarkable for their age. You are to follow them while they are in the village, prioritizing Uchiha Shisui. The only times you are allowed to let them out of your sight are when they depart for missions.”

“I understand, Danzo-sama. Will we be recruiting them into Root?”

“That is none of your concern, Kinoto,” Danzo reprimanded the man sharply, visible eye narrowed. “Your only priority is your mission. You start immediately. Dismissed!”

“Yes, Danzo-sama!”

The black haired man bowed once in respect and saluted, vanishing the next moment. Danzo sat back in his chair once he was alone in his office, satisfaction clear in his expression and bearing. The two missions he had just assigned might just provide the opportunity he needed.

Of course, depending on how the situation evolved, Danzo would adjust his plans. It was going to take a few months at least, perhaps even a few years. But he was a patient man. And if his newly-made plan worked, then it would be all worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of felt like this chapter was all over the place, but I hope it made sense.
> 
> Now what is Danzo planning?
> 
> Posted: 12/12/2020


	18. Ripples in time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

**_“Would you stop mumbling? It’s hurting my ears.”_ **

Kurama grunted in annoyance when his container only ignored his words and continued pacing the length of their shared mindscape, muttering under her breath. The water sloshed around her feet, the sound filling the otherwise silent space.

**_“Oi, brat! Stop that and listen to me!”_ **

Hikari startled and jerked to a halt, looking up at the fox with wide eyes. Kurama hardly ever lost his temper at her nowadays, and for him to do so now was rather surprising.

_“Sorry, it’s just...”_

Danzo was finally appearing to make a move. She had noticed a Root nin following Shisui and Itachi around, mostly Shisui. He was rather good too, barely using any chakra in order to keep himself as hidden as possible. It had made her uneasy, even if the man hadn’t made any threatening moves towards the Uchiha.

 _“The old geezer is plotting something,”_ Hikari finally said, staring up at her partner helplessly. She didn’t like how Danzo’s attention had shifted from her to her friends. As long as she was the target, she could handle it. But not the boys, who were mostly unaware of the darkness in Konoha. _“Even as smart as they are, Shisui and Itachi would probably not be expecting an attack from inside the village.”_

 ** _“Then just tell them,”_** Kurama snapped. He didn’t know why the girl didn’t just kill the old war hawk; if it were him, he would have ended that sorry excuse of a man’s life the moment he got a chance. **_“Killing that scum would be a lot easier too.”_**

 _“I want to do that, but I need to know everything he’s hiding before I do.”_ When the fox looked askance at her, Hikari elaborated with an exhausted sigh, _“I sensed seals all over his body…control seals, trigger seals, even interconnected networks. I have no idea what they’re for and I don’t want to risk it.”_

**_“You believe killing him could trigger something.”_ **

Hikari nodded, biting her lip in thought. _“As paranoid as he is, Danzo would definitely have tons of counter measures. For now, I’m maintaining surveillance on him to see if I can find out what he’s hiding. I’m also chipping away at Root’s connections.”_

Her plan was meant for the long-term. Danzo had extended his reach everywhere and she was cutting away those connections one by one. She was doing it in a way that he wouldn’t notice; she wasn’t killing any of his men, not immediately. Instead, she was replacing his regular spies with her clones, feeding Root false information before staging accidents to hide the spies’ deaths.

It would take years before her plan showed its effects, since Hikari was spacing out each ‘accident’ over months. Killing them all in one fell swoop would definitely attract Danzo’s attention and she needed him to not focus on anything outside Konoha for the time being. That way, she could subtly destroy his network and cut him off when the time to confront Danzo came.

 _‘That’s of no use right now, though,’_ Hikari thought with a grimace. Even if she destroyed his connections outside the village, Danzo still had his Root in Konoha. She could take them on if necessary, but there were too many people currently in the line of fire. It’s not like she could tell her precious people that there were targets painted on them.

Wait…

Hikari perked up, eyes brightening as an idea occurred to her. Shisui and Itachi already knew she was hiding a ton of things from them and were waiting for her to reveal them at her own volition. That didn’t mean she had to tell them everything in one go. _‘I can let them know that they’re being targeted without revealing all my secrets just yet. I’m sure they’ll trust me.’_

 ** _“Come to a decision yet?”_** Kurama asked with a disgruntled huff, noticing the happy expression on his Jinchuuriki’s face. He couldn’t care less about the outside world as long as it didn’t affect the girl.

_“Kind of.”_

It was easier said than done though.

Even if Hikari wanted to tell Shisui and Itachi to be careful, she could hardly catch them long enough to do so. The boys were sent on missions back-to-back, Shisui being ANBU and Itachi a newly minted Chuunin.

Annoyance got the best of her and she decided to use the Sandaime’s assistance, to get him to delay the boys’ next missions long enough for her to have them both in one place. With that thought in mind, Hikari promptly dumped a bunch of excited kids and an amused Manami at the Nara Compound and took off to the Hokage Tower.

As per her usual routine, she checked the interior of the Hokage’s office, blinking in surprise when she noticed two unexpected chakra signatures. _‘Huh, what’s Kurenai-san doing there with a kid?’_

The other chakra signature was vaguely familiar, reminiscent of a distant memory. It felt young, around Naruto’s age but also unusually powerful and tainted with darkness. That piqued her curiosity and Hikari channeled chakra to her ears, eavesdropping on the conversation occurring inside the Hokage’s office.

“I don’t think I can train her,” Kurenai said, an undertone of sadness and regret in her voice. “Her Kekkei Genkai is very powerful and her Genjutsu skills are good, but her physical abilities are far too weak to even stand up to a civilian.”

Hikari frowned at that; who the hell was this girl Kurenai was talking about?

From her current position, the redhead couldn’t see inside the office, so she hopped from roof to roof, trying to find the perfect angle to get a view of the office’s occupants. She had to circle around to the window on the other side of the tower to finally get a glimpse and she stopped, peering inside curiously.

Hiruzen and Kurenai’s presences were obvious, the two of them engaged in conversation while a young girl with brown hair and eyes stood in a corner. She was clearly anxious, fingers fidgeting as her gaze darted between the floor and the conversing pair.

“Now where have I seen her before?” Hikari muttered under her breath, studying the unknown girl carefully as she tried to wrack her brains for a clue. Meanwhile, the conversation between the two adults continued and she had to focus on them as well.

“I see,” Hiruzen murmured, voice soft as he directed an expression full of pity at the young brunette in the corner. “What do you suggest we do then, Kurenai-chan?”

“I believe it is best to seal her powers, Hokage-sama.”

_What?!_

“Even if her ability is powerful, it is of no use unless she can use it without being a danger to herself and others.”

“No!” the unknown brunette cried out, tears beading at the corners of her eyes as she panicked. “Please, give me a chance! I want to be a kunoichi; I promise I’ll train hard!”

Kurenai turned around, shaking her head at the girl. “Even if you have the will, I don’t believe you can accomplish this, Yakumo-chan.”

Yakumo.

Kurama Yakumo.

That was it; that was why the brunette was familiar. Hikari recalled a mission she had done with Sakura, Team 8 and Gai-sensei; she had met the girl then, Yakumo, who was capable of casting powerful Genjutsu using paintings as a medium. It had been a strange and taxing mission.

 _‘Although…isn’t Yakumo supposed to be older? She looks around Naruto’s age,’_ the eavesdropping redhead mused, frowning as she tried to recall more details from the past. _‘This is supposed to happen in the future too, after Lee started training under Gai-sensei. Why is it happening now?’_

 ** _“Remember that this is a different dimension,”_** Kurama spoke up out of the blue, opening one crimson eye lazily. **_“Even if many things have been the same so far, we can’t expect everything to be identical to our original world.”_**

_“You’ve got a point.”_

Hikari tuned back into the conversation she was listening into just as Kurenai refused the young girl again, saying that determination was of no use if she did not have the ability to back it up. _‘What the…? Was Kurenai-san like this in my world too? I’d only seen her encouraging Hinata. Yakumo should be a similar case too.’_

Ushering the now sobbing brunette back into her corner, Kurenai approached the Hokage. Her voice was pitched low this time, in an obvious attempt to keep Yakumo from hearing her next words. “Her secondary personality is dangerous, Hokage-sama. It has already killed her parents; if we don’t seal it and her powers, it could go on a rampage.”

Hiruzen sighed, nodding in agreement. “I suppose so.”

Outside the tower, Hikari saw _red_.

She finally recalled everything. In her world, Yakumo’s parents had asked for a tutor for their daughter but it had ended up being useless and Yakumo’s Kekkei Genkai had been sealed, along with the secondary personality, Ido. The seal had weakened once, Ido killing the girl’s parents before it could be subdued once again. Yakumo had mistakenly believed that the fire that had killed her parents had been the Sandaime’s fault and had sought revenge.

Yakumo’s life had been miserable after the death of her parents and she had also faced a betrayal in the form of her uncle. Unkai had deemed her a threat to the Kurama clan and had chosen to assassinate her. Hikari’s mission had ended with Yakumo coming to terms with the truth, overcoming the control Ido had on her.

But it was not the same here.

The poor girl had already lost her parents, whether or not she knew that it had been the Ido’s fault. And now Kurenai was refusing to teach her, with the Hokage about to seal her powers.

All for what?

For a dangerous secondary personality that could have been easily sealed or removed altogether without affecting her Kekkei Genkai, if only the Sandaime had the brains to call upon Hikari or Jiraiya’s Fuuinjutsu expertise.

Gritting her teeth at the fury that engulfed her, Hikari flared her chakra in one violent burst and took off running. She leapt off upon reaching the edge of the roof, slipping through the window of the Hokage’s office in one smooth move and skidding to a stop in front of the crying brunette.

Both Hiruzen and Kurenai had flinched at her earlier burst of chakra, the woman spinning on her heel to face the redhead. “Hikari, what-?”

“I expected better from both of you, Jiji, Kurenai-san.”

The old Hokage frowned, brow furrowing in confusion at the anger in the girl’s voice. “Were you listening in on us?”

“Considering that the privacy seals weren’t activated, I considered it fair grounds,” Hikari sniped back, blue eyes narrowed in a glare. Anyone else would have been punished or at least reprimanded for the impudence she was displaying, but she didn’t care, not when the Sandaime was still making the same mistakes despite having been warned.

“Then you know how dangerous Yakumo-chan’s powers could be.”

“All I hear are excuses, considering who I have in my care.”

For Sage’s sake, Hikari had two Jinchuuriki for siblings, both of whom could cause more destruction than Ido.

Kurenai, having stayed silent till then, spoke up, “It is better for Yakumo herself if she pursues another path, Hikari. She is too weak physically to be involved in combat.”

Hikari shifted the focus of her glare from the Sandaime to the crimson-eyed woman, internally wondering where the confident Kurenai she had known in her future was. The Kurenai in front of her, despite being self-assured, didn’t have the confidence to be responsible for a student.

If a teacher didn’t have belief in their student, then they were both doomed to fail.

“So?”

Hikari raised an eyebrow, staring down the two adults. “If I had listened to all the people who said I couldn’t do something, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

“But-”

“Do you realize what you are doing?” the redhead interrupted, arms crossed over her chests as she stood protectively in front of a now silent Yakumo. “You’re not even giving the kid a chance to prove herself. Even if she’s what, six, seven? She still has her own will.”

When Kurenai’s expression showed only regret and determination to stick to her initial opinion, Hikari harrumphed in annoyance. “I can’t deal with the two of you right now.”

She turned around, kneeling in front of the little brunette. Offering the teary girl a gentle smile, she said, “Hi there, I’m Uzumaki Hikari. What’s your name?”

“K-Kurama Yakumo,” the younger girl hiccupped, cheeks red and splotchy. She clutched her skirt tightly, stifling a snob as she tried to fight back the rush of disappointment and pain at being rejected by Kurenai.

“Well then, Yakumo, you have a pretty face, so don’t ruin it by crying,” Hikari remarked, wiping the brunette’s tears away with her sleeve. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“I want to become a kunoichi…but Hokage-sama and Kurenai-san say that I can’t,” Yakumo whispered, shoulders slumping and head dropping in hurt and disappointment. She knew that she couldn’t be a close-range fighter, but she had thought that honing her Genjutsu skills and Kekkei Genkai would give her an opportunity.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m weak and good at only Genjutsu.”

“First of all, stop thinking like that,” Hikari said, poking the girl’s forehead with her fingers. Itachi was rubbing off on her, she thought absently as Yakumo rubbed the spot with a pout. “You’re still young; even if you’re not the best, you can get stronger physically with the proper diet and training.”

“Really?”

“Yep!”

Beaming and inwardly sighing in relief when Yakumo brightened, light brown eyes shining, Hikari continued cheerfully, pointedly ignoring the protests from the adults behind her, “And if you’re good at Genjutsu, I have two friends who I can rope into teaching you.”

“Hikari-chan, you can’t-!”

“Shut up, Jiji.”

The words were spoken in a dark tone, the redhead straightening, one hand resting on Yakumo’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Hikari looked over her shoulder, eyes blank as she bored holes into the old Hokage with her gaze. She wasn’t the ‘Naruto’ of the past, who would forgive unconditionally. She would mostly let anything towards her slide, but towards those she claimed as her own, she would protect fiercely.

Kurama Yakumo was now one added to that number.

Hikari met Kurenai’s eyes next, the woman flinching at the sheer venom in usually sparkling blue eyes and looked away, unable to face that disappointed gaze. The girl didn’t say anything else, letting her eyes flutter closed and took a deep breath. Shoving her anger into a box for later, Hikari looked back at Yakumo.

“What do you think of my offer, Yakumo? Do you want to give training with my friends a shot?”

The little brunette stared back uncertainly, fingers twisting the material of her skirt. Yakumo really did want the chance, but after having her hopes dashed so severely by Yuuhi Kurenai, she was justifiably wary. The girl in front of her had no reason to help her and she couldn’t help but question her motives.

“Why…? Why do you want to help me?”

“Because I know what it’s like to be told that you can’t do something,” came the prompt reply. Hikari ruffled the younger girl’s hair gently, making Yakumo giggle and swat at her hand. “I won’t force you to do anything. I’m just putting the offer on the table.”

“…can I think about it?”

“Of course! Take all the time you need.”

Yakumo nodded determinedly, whispering her thanks to the beaming Uzumaki. She then turned to the Sandaime and Kurenai, bowing. “Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama, Kurenai-san. I will be heading home now.”

“I’ll see you out~” Hikari chirped cheerfully, pointedly ignoring the stunned adults and followed the brunette out the door. She knew that Yakumo was studying her curiously, but Hikari didn’t mind and pretended to not notice the burning gaze.

The pair had almost reached the lobby when the Uzumaki registered another familiar chakra signature and stopped halfway down the stairs, grabbing Yakumo’s shoulder. “Is that man related to you?” she asked, pointing to a middle-aged man with light brown hair.

Yakumo blinked in confusion and peered into the lobby, expression showing recognition when she saw who Hikari was referring to. “Yes, that’s my uncle. How did you know?”

Hikari hummed lightly, eyeing the man with a contemplative gaze. She actually knew him, identifying him as Kurama Unkai. He was someone with a great sense of responsibility and was respected in the Kurama clan, so much that his clansmen never questioned his orders. In a sense, she could respect him, but at the same time, she did not like him.

Like Danzo, and Hiruzen to a certain level, Unkai was the type to choose an extreme solution for a simple problem.

“His chakra is similar to yours,” Hikari said in response to a curious Yakumo. _‘I don’t know if Unkai is already planning to kill Yakumo, since she’s refused to let herself be sealed and I won’t allow it. It’s best if I take some precautionary measures.’_

Pulling off her bracelet from her wrist, Hikari swiped a finger over the engraved seals to deactivate them and applied another one with her chakra. “Here,” she murmured, taking Yakumo’s hand and sliding the bracelet onto her wrist. “If you want to talk to me or need me for anything, and I mean _anything_ , just channel chakra into this. I’ll come, no matter when or where.”

Yakumo raised her hand, staring at the thin strip of metal. The girl in front of her was strange, defending her when she had no reason to. She even gave her an opportunity to become a shinobi, something that even the Hokage was reluctant to provide. “Is it a summoning seal?”

“Something like that.”

It wasn’t like Hikari could tell her that it was the Hiraishin.

“Thank you, Uzumaki-san,” the brunette smiled, bowing once in thanks before running off to her uncle. The man nodded at the girl and the two made their way out of the Hokage Tower, Yakumo looking over her shoulder to wave goodbye to Hikari.

“Ah…” Hikari sighed when the pair was out of sight and tugged on her hair in frustration. “How troublesome.”

* * *

“Troublesome brat,” Shikaku grunted, amused and a little bewildered at how the midget lying on the grass in front of him had so easily scolded the highest authority in the village. Hikari had reappeared an hour after she had dumped the rest of her family in his house, complaining about stupid old men who couldn’t look past their nose.

“Come on, Shikaku-san; there’s no way I could sit back and let them do that to Yakumo!”

“I know that. I’m just wondering: are you going for the full set?”

“Huh?”

“The Raikage, the Kazekage, the Hokage to an extent,” the Nara ticked off on his fingers, raising an eyebrow at the redhead. “You’ve threatened them all directly or indirectly, and from what I know, you’re planning to kill Orochimaru someday, who’s going to become the Otokage. Are the Mizukage and Tsuchikage safe from you?”

Hikari snorted, jabbing the chuckling Nara in the side with an elbow. “Not my fault they’re all idiots or bastards,” she stated flatly, before smiling mischievously. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll finish the set.”

It was Shikaku’s turn to snort, shaking his head. “I’m waiting for the day you cause a diplomatic nightmare, Hikari.”

“Meh. Do I look like I care?”

“No, you look like you’ll beat everyone into the ground and do it again just for fun.”

“You know me so well.”

The duo sat in silence for a while, listening to the sound of children laughing in the distance. Considering the cacophony of voices Hikari could hear, it seemed like Naruto and Karin had managed to rope in all the Nara kids into a game or a training exercise. She wondered what the mischievous pair had bribed Shikamaru and Gaara with, since the former was as lazy as ever and the latter was still a shy kid.

“Hikari?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you put up a privacy seal?”

Frowning at the unusual request, Hikari stayed still but tapped a finger against the ground, raising a barrier. “What is it, Shikaku-san?”

“How much do you know of Root’s current movements?” Shikaku asked, eyes staring into the distance as he leaned back on his palms. He knew that the Nara Compound was secure, that Hikari would have sniffed out a rat the instant she set foot inside but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

“A good amount. Mostly regarding their activities outside Konoha though.”

The Nara nodded, flicking a quick glance at the redhead. “Did you know that Shibi was investigating them?”

“No,” Hikari answered with a good measure of surprise, tilting her head to look at the Nara. She wasn’t aware that there were people other than her keeping tabs on Root. “What for?”

“About two years ago, Danzo tried to take his son.”

“Shino?!”

Shikaku nodded, not reacting to the girl’s startled exclamation. “He wasn’t successful, of course. But that made Shibi bring some information he had about Root to me, along with Hiashi and Tsume.”

“What was it about?”

“A record of one of their missions. It was incomplete, something Shibi had found in the ruins of an old base.”

“Huh. Danzo isn’t the type to be careless, so it’s likely Shibi-san stumbled upon the place just as they were clearing it out and they missed it in their rush.”

“I thought so too. It was about a woman, Nono.”

Seeing no hint of recognition in blue eyes, Shikaku continued, “Shibi continued digging and found that she used to work at an orphanage. There wasn’t much information, but it was enough to reveal that children were put through brainwashing processes.”

Shikaku told her everything that the Aburame Clan Head had uncovered, which wasn’t much, considering the scale on which Danzo operated, but it was still a decent amount. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely incriminating, but it should have been enough to launch a formal investigation into Root.

But Hikari knew that nothing of the sort had occurred.

“Was Jiji informed of this?”

“Yes, a week ago,” the Nara said grimly, a dark sort of understanding and frustration in his eyes. Shibi had asked for his assistance and the two, along with Hiashi, had requested a meeting with the Sandaime. Unfortunately, no matter how much they had argued, the old Sarutobi had not done anything except reprimand Danzo, along with a warning to no longer involve children.

Hikari scowled. “That’s going to be strike two,” she muttered to herself, Shikaku looking at her curiously. “Naruto’s Jinchuuriki status being revealed was strike one for Jiji. One more and I take matters into my own hands.”

“Do you intend to kill Danzo?”

“I wanted to do that the moment I entered Konoha.”

The girl extended her senses, scowl deepening when she noticed that the Root nin was still tailing Shisui. “I warned Jiji and while he’s not as bad as he was in my world, he still hasn’t grown a proper spine when it comes to his old teammates. If Danzo wasn’t hiding something, you’d have found his cold and unrecognizable corpse long ago.”

Her words held a dark promise and Shikaku had no doubts that she would follow through if, or rather, when things finally came to a head.

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat, getting the Uzumaki’s attention. “The reason I’m telling you this, is because I doubt Danzo would stop recruiting children. Since you’ve currently stopped the Kurama Heiress’ powers from being sealed…”

“You think Danzo would try to take her.”

“Yeah. That man has little to no morals and wouldn’t care about what he would have to do, as long as he achieves his goal.”

Hikari sighed, knowing very well that the Nara was right. Yakumo, being as young as she was and with very few people on her side, was an easy target. “I gave her a Hiraishin marker,” she told Shikaku. “I can get to her instantly if she needs help.”

The new information was surprising, since Shikaku knew that Hikari hadn’t realized that Yakumo could have become Danzo’s target earlier. So she had to have given her marker for a different reason and he said as much.

“Well…danger isn’t always from the outside.”

“Yakumo will be betrayed by her clan.”

“Kind of. Hopefully, I’m just being paranoid and it won’t happen. Speaking of Yakumo…she’s different here.”

“Different how?”

“She’s younger than me, when I would have expected her to be around my age or older. And her parents died far too early in this dimension.”

“Huh.”

The two descended into silence, Shikaku mulling over what she had told him and how it could impact the timeline.

“I’m fairly sure we discarded the notion of keeping the timeline intact when you adopted Gaara,” he finally said, quirking a smile at the redhead. He still remembered her outburst, when she had declared that the timeline could go to hell. “I believe Yakumo’s circumstances are natural to this world, since she was born before you arrived. Only your interference in her sealing and any further involvement will likely affect things. You’re concerned about other things, correct?”

A short hum was his answer.

“From what I understand, certain events are meant to occur, regardless of interference. The butterfly effect caused by your existence may or may not affect them.”

“…what do you mean?”

“I mean that you shouldn’t worry about what your actions could cause. Since there is no way of telling what effect your presence has on this world.”

Hikari sighed, sitting up and staring into the distance. “Do you think that the Uchiha Massacre could be one of those ‘events’?”

“…it is possible,” Shikaku allowed, understanding what she was trying to say. “Perhaps the situation isn’t the same anymore, but that doesn’t mean some outside force couldn’t cause the massacre. Even so, you’re still the wild card in this equation, Hikari.”

“Huh?”

“You have the ability to interfere, since you aren’t tied to any authority but your own. You answer only to yourself, so as long as you can contain the consequences, you can practically do anything within your own limits.”

“Can you stop with the riddles and get to the point?”

Shikaku chuckled and ruffled the pouting girl’s hair, clarifying his earlier words, “I mean that you shouldn’t worry about the timeline and watch out for events occurring like in your world. If it’s within your power, do whatever you want to do.”

* * *

Yakumo choked back a sob as she ran through the corridors of her house, skidding around a corner. She scrabbled to regain her balance as her bare feet slipped on the wooden floor, fear clenching her heart as a kunai whizzed past her ear.

 _‘Why, uncle?’_ she screamed in her mind, picking up the pace when she heard footsteps. _‘Why do you want to kill me?’_

It had been a normal day at the start, Yakumo going about her usual routine. She didn’t have a trainer yet; it had been a week since her disastrous meeting with Kurenai and she still hadn’t been sure on whether to accept Uzumaki Hikari’s offer. Yakumo hadn’t let it stop her though, doing a little physical training to strengthen her body.

When it had gotten late, her uncle had asked for her to meet him in his study, only for him to start attacking her out of nowhere. Terrified, Yakumo had thrown a kunai she had luckily had on hand to startle him and had used that moment of distraction to make her escape. Her next course of action had been to seek help from the rest of her clansmen but none of them had assisted her, instead following her uncle in trying to kill her.

“Just a little more…!” she gasped, bursting out of the house. If she could cross the back garden and make her way into the forest surrounding the compound, Yakumo could get help from the patrolling ANBU.

“Ahhh!”

A kunai embedded into her thigh and Yakumo gasped in pain, collapsing on the grass. She curled up a little, one hand reaching for the weapon. She didn’t know if she should pull it out or not, but before she could come to a decision, a shadow fell over her and she looked up to see her uncle looming over her.

“Why?” Yakumo pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this?”

Unkai stared at her, expression blank. After a moment of contemplation, he dipped his head in a nod and lowered his kunai. “I suppose you have a right to know why your death is necessary.”

That startled Yakumo, the girl having thought that he had been trying to kill to get the position of Clan Head.

“You have inherited the Kurama’s Clan Kekkei Genkai in its entirety,” the man said, some of the clansmen coming out of the house to stand behind him. “It is powerful, yes, but you also have a weakness. The Ido, formed from part of your psyche, is a sentient and malicious personality that can use your powers for harm.”

“W-What?”

Unkai paused, staring into his niece’s wide eyes. The girl might be innocent, but there was no telling when the Ido would control her. “Your parents were killed by it.”

Yakumo flinched, freezing in place as horror crept into her mind. “I killed Mother and Father?” she whispered to herself, looking down at her hands. They were scraped and dirty, but suddenly, all she could see was them being covered in blood.

She felt sick.

“I do not believe it to be your fault,” Unkai told her, in a moment of sympathy. He understood that Yakumo didn’t ask for the Ido to be born. Yet there was also no way he could allow her to roam free, now that Yuuhi Kurenai had refused to train her and Yakumo not letting her powers be sealed. No one could tell when the Ido would wreak havoc again.

Unkai wished to protect the Kurama Clan, enough that he was willing to take on the crime of killing the Heiress, his only niece.

“But please understand; with this, you can be free of the guilt of your parents’ deaths and will not be responsible for harming another with your powers.”

The girl on the ground heard all of her uncle’s words, processing them rapidly. Yakumo was smart; she understood what Unkai meant when he said that a part of her mind had killed her parents and why she was dangerous.

But she still wanted to live, even with the guilt of her parents’ death weighing on her mind.

Yakumo curled up with a cry of despair, channeling chakra around her body in a desperate attempt to protect herself when a kunai came down with a sense of finality.

_‘Someone, please help me!’_

The pain she was expecting did not come.

Instead, the sound of blades clashing reached her ears and Yakumo looked up in shock, only to see a curtain of crimson.

“Really? You encounter a problem and immediately decide to kill the kid instead of seeking a solution?”

Hikari snarled, pushing back against Unkai and delivering a roundhouse kick to his head. The man stumbled from the sudden and unexpected assault, especially from a girl who wasn’t even ten years old. The rest of the Kurama clansmen jumped in to assist but their path was blocked, thanks to a blue barrier that sprung up between them and the two girls.

Turning her back in an indirect insult and taunt to the perplexed group, Hikari knelt next to the shivering brunette. “I’m glad I made it on time,” she murmured, helping Yakumo sit up.

“How did you…?” Yakumo trailed off, wincing when the kunai embedded in her thigh was pulled out. The older girl had done her best to be gentle, but there was no way to avoid the pain without additional procedures. The cool healing chakra that enveloped the wound made up for it though, the pain vanishing as the injury was healed.

“How did I get here or how did I know to come here?” Hikari queried in a teasing tone, checking over the girl quickly. She had suffered a light sprain and had some small scratches, all of which were taken care of rapidly. Taking Yakumo’s hand, she tapped on the bracelet on her wrist. “Did you forget about this?”

“Oh!”

Yakumo had kept the bracelet Hikari had given her around her wrist all the time, strangely soothed by reminder of the strange girl who had leapt to her defense against the Hokage and a renowned Jounin. Even if the girls had only met once, Yakumo had been happy because the redhead had stood up for her. Uzumaki Hikari was a well-known person, after all.

“But you said to put chakra into it to call you and I didn’t do that…”

“Actually, you sort of did when you covered yourself with chakra,” Hikari smiled as she explained, tapping the girl’s head with a finger. “That was enough.”

“Uzumaki Hikari,” Unkai cut across anything Yakumo could have said, staring down at the two girls with a blank expression. “What are you doing here? You do not have permission to be on the Kurama Clan grounds.”

“And I don’t think it’s right of you to attack your own niece,” Hikari shot back, voice flat. She was really sick and tired of stupid adults. “Normally, I’d be more than happy to kick your butt and make you see sense, but I don’t think Yakumo will ever feel safe around you again. So if she’s fine with it, I’m taking her with me.”

“I’m afraid you have no right to do that, Uzumaki-san. This is a Clan matter and outsiders are not allowed to interfere.”

Hikari sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. “All I’m hearing is a list of things I’m apparently not supposed to do, and not why this situation is happening. Besides,” her eyes turned dark and stormy, causing shivers to run down the spines of the Kurama clansmen, “do you really think I would stand by and do nothing when you are about to kill a child?”

“That _child_ is dangerous!”

“No, it’s the Ido within her that’s dangerous,” the Uzumaki snapped back in anger. Small hands grabbing onto her own made her pause and she looked back to see Yakumo shivering, gaze downcast.

“Is it t-true…? Did I really kill Mother and Father?”

Yakumo was shaking violently; now that the danger of death had passed, the news that she -albeit indirectly- had been responsible for her parents’ deaths finally sunk in. She had been told that the fire had been caused by accident, not that it had been deliberate. Her parents’ had always been good to her, her father supporting her dream of becoming a shinobi one day and her mother always taking care of her whenever Yakumo inevitably injured herself or fell sick.

So, for her, who had loved her parents deeply and had been loved in return, it was like her world had fallen apart.

Hikari looked down at the brunette clinging to her hand like it was a lifeline, stamping down the urge to beat the man behind her to a pulp. What kind of uncle would be so callous to his own niece?

Since one hand was still trapped in Yakumo’s grasp, Hikari gently cupped the back of the younger girl’s head, drawing her close. “That wasn’t you, Yakumo,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I mentioned Ido, right? That is the true culprit, not you. But I can understand how you feel, so it’s okay to cry.”

Sending a glare over her shoulder at the gathered Kurama clansmen, Hikari set up a privacy seal, letting Yakumo have a modicum of privacy while sobbing her heart out.

It took a while before Yakumo’s sobs died down, face red and swollen, cheeks wet with her tears. There was a lot of guilt and pain swimming in her brown eyes, along with a good amount of betrayal. It wasn’t hard for Hikari to guess what and who it was for.

“Uzumaki-san?”

“What is it?”

“Hokage-sama and Kurenai-san…the Ido is why they wanted to seal my powers, right?”

Hikari sighed. “Yes.”

“Then…!”

“Whatever you’re thinking of, stop it right now,” Hikari ordered, ruffling the girl’s hair. “Don’t make a serious choice like this when you’re upset. You might end up regretting it later.”

“But the Ido was born because of me, right?” Yakumo’s expression was conflicted, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Her nails were biting into her palms, drawing blood, but she ignored the sting. “I have to take responsibility for it!”

“Seriously…how old are you, Yakumo?”

The brunette blinked, thrown off by the sudden and weird question. “Huh? I’m six…”

“You’re too young to be thinking about things like that. All you have to do is grow up well.”

When Yakumo didn’t have anything to say to that, Hikari prodded, “Right now, what do you want to do, Yakumo?”

“I…”

“Go on. It can be anything.”

“…I want to leave this place.”

And that was how Yakumo ended up tucked into the bed in one of the guestrooms at the Uzumaki household, exhausted by the events of the day.

“Are we going to get a new family member?” Manami asked idly as she wiped the dishes, sorting them into their places. She was no longer fazed by what Hikari did nor who she brought home, simply taking everything in with a smile.

Since there was a child involved this time, she was even less concerned about repercussions.

Tenzo wasn’t quite so calm though. He stared at Hikari, “That girl is the Kurama Clan Heiress.”

“Yup.”

“And you brought her here.”

“Yup.”

“Why?”

“Because her clan was going to kill her.”

Tenzo opened his mouth then closed it, exchanging a look with Kakashi, who appeared to be amused. Realizing that he wasn’t going to get any help from the Hatake, the Mokuton user asked, “An explanation, please?”

Hikari snorted but complied, giving a concise summary of what had happened, from the day she had met Yakumo until the current day. “Since she asked to leave, I brought her here for now.”

“What do you intend to do with her, Hikari-chan?” Manami re-entered the conversation, wiping her hands on a towel as she settled at the table. “Since it could be argued that you kidnapped Yakumo-chan.”

“I’d like to see anyone try to get her back,” Hikari replied with a sardonic smile. “Honestly? It’s her choice. I’m planning on extracting the Ido from her psyche when she feels up to it, so that she’s no longer viewed as a threat. After that, she can do whatever she wants.”

“You realize that Yakumo-chan’s likely to choose to stay here,” the older woman pointed out. She had seen the way the little brunette had clung to Hikari, reminiscent of how Gaara had been when he had first arrived. All her instincts told her that there was no way Yakumo would choose to go back home, not after how she had been betrayed.

“But she’s still an heiress,” Tenzo interjected, expression troubled. “If the Kurama Clan kicks up a fuss, you’ll be dragged in, Hikari-san.”

“Maa, I’d be more worried for them rather than our redhead,” Kakashi said, eye curving in a smile. He wasn’t the least bit concerned; he knew that Hikari was more than capable of handling the Kurama Clan, considering that she had the backing of most of Konoha’s major shinobi clans.

Also, there was no way the Kurama Clan would be allowed custody of Yakumo after what they had done.

In the worst case scenario, she would be placed in one of the other clans.

“Such faith,” Hikari retorted drily. She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “I wonder why most of the shinobi villages are so bad at caring for children. If I went around picking up kids like this, I could probably start my own village.”

“The village of misfits,” Kakashi chuckled, patting the girl’s head in a mocking manner. His light mood did not dissipate at the scowl and swipe he received, “Where do I sign up?”

“Stop joking, Kashi-nii!”

* * *

Shisui paced anxiously outside the door to Fugaku’s office, hands clasped tightly behind his back. He was waiting for a particular piece of information but the wait was getting to him, considering how time-sensitive the issue was.

“Impatience isn’t going to help, Shisui,” Itachi spoke up, leaning against the wall opposite the study. His naturally calm demeanor was beneficial for him to maintain his poise, especially since he was internally just as concerned as the older Uchiha.

“Yeah, but-”

The door to the study opened at that instant and Fugaku stepped out, making Shisui freeze in place and Itachi straighten. The man studied both boys, then tilted his head towards the inside of the room, “Come in.”

The trio settled down quickly, the privacy seal activating in order to keep their interactions secret. The boys curiously eyed the scattered papers on the desk, waiting for the Clan Head to give them the news they wanted.

To explain the situation, it was something that had started three days ago. Since Shisui and Itachi had been out on missions frequently, they hadn’t had time to train together. So when they had gotten a small window of free time, the pair had immediately seized it and had gone to the forest to train. Normally, they would have invited Hikari but since they were training their Sharingan, the girl had decided not to join them.

Things had been fine at the start, Shisui and Itachi sparring with each other, with nothing held back. It was when they had headed deeper into the forest that their senses registered the boundary of a barrier. It had been well-hidden and only their experience with Fuuinjutsu had allowed them to detect it.

Shisui had wanted to investigate, since it was strange for a barrier to exist within the deepest parts of the forests around Konoha. Itachi, although initially reluctant, had tagged along, if only to keep his friend out of trouble. But in the end, the pair were glad that they had followed their instincts, seeing that their search had turned up something alarming: a pair of children in a barely furnished house.

Talking to the children had only raised their hackles further and without delaying further, the two Uchiha had grabbed the children and hightailed it out of the forest, not stopping until they reached the Uchiha Compound.

Now they were waiting for the results of the DNA tests Itachi had convinced Fugaku to secretly perform on the two children.

Fugaku pinched the bridge of his nose, eyeing his first-born balefully. “I had thought Sasuke would be the one to give me gray hairs, Itachi,” he grumbled half-heartedly, before becoming serious once again. He took some of the papers on the desk, glancing through them once more. “As you know, these are the results of the DNA tests you had asked for.”

Shisui and Itachi stiffened in their seats, the weary tone in the clan head’s voice not boding well. “Please get to the point, Father.”

“Hn. As you suspected, the younger child does have some Uchiha blood in him.”

Shisui caught the nuances in the man’s wording and spoke, “But not enough to claim him as family.”

“Unfortunately, no,” Fugaku agreed, handing over the papers when Itachi silently held out a hand for it. “Perhaps one of the smaller families could adopt him, but he would be ostracized. He does not have the potential to awaken the Sharingan; the Uchiha genes in him are too weak.”

“So he will always be an outlier.”

“Yes. As for the other boy, he’s completely unrelated to us.”

Itachi skimmed the results of the DNA test, corroborating everything his father had just said with the facts printed on the paper. “Then our only course of action is to send them to the orphanage?”

“I think that’ll be dangerous for the kids,” Shisui remarked, grimacing at the memory of the condition they had found them in. “For one thing, the older kid is sick and the orphanage wouldn’t really take care of him. And there’s no guarantee of their safety.”

Fugaku observed his son and nephew, the gears in his brain turning. “You know, then,” he said slowly, feeling a faint flicker of satisfaction when the boys’ gazes sharpened, “of the darkness in Konoha.”

“A little. We came to know of it by accident years ago, but we know that they’ve been more active lately, Fugaku-sama.”

The clan head raised an eyebrow at the mention of them knowing about Root for years but didn’t ask, instead latching onto more interesting information. “Hikari,” he simply stated, the boys nodding in confirmation. “Back to the matter at hand, if we wish to protect those children, we must find them a safe home.”

“Can’t Hokage-sama help, Father?”

“I believe not. Though he has changed some of his ways, he is still weak. No, we must find someone else.”

“The clans are out,” Shisui mused. Even if the kids wouldn’t be neglected in clans like the Nara or the Akimichi, they would feel left out when they grew, since they wouldn’t have the characteristics of the clans. Placing them with civilians was also a no-go; that meant they needed candidates among the shinobi, who would be strong enough to protect them.

“Whoever we find, they must be willing to take in both of them,” Itachi added. “The children will not let themselves be separated.”

“Ugh, this is tough. It’s not like there are many people who don’t belong to special clans, who could stand against even the Hokage and be willing to take in two unknown kids!”

“On the contrary, we do,” Fugaku smirked, making the boys blink in confusion.

“Huh?”

* * *

Hikari looked up from her current task of making paper seals when she felt a disturbance outside the house. There were four chakra signatures, identifying two as Shisui and Itachi. One was unfamiliar and the last one…

The brush in her hand clattered as it fell on the desk, spraying droplets of ink everywhere but she didn’t care. She shot out of her chair, running to the window facing the front to get a look at her visitors. Her suspicions were proven right when she saw pale skin and black hair.

_‘Sai!’_

It was indeed the younger version of the teen who had become a part of Team Kakashi in her world. Next to him was a sickly looking boy with gray hair and dark eyes, who Hikari thought was Shin, Sai’s adoptive brother.

Wait, did they even have the same names here?

And what were they doing with Shisui and Itachi?

“Hikari-chan!”

Shisui waved to her, a sheepish grin on his face, as if he was going to say or do something that he was going to be hit for. Considering that Itachi had a similar look, Hikari could safely assume that she wasn’t going to be happy for long.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t help the smile that threatened to break out; swinging her legs over the ledge, Hikari dropped down to the grass, landing soundlessly. “Hey, Shisui, Itachi. It’s been a while. And who are these kids?”

“About that…” Shisui chuckled nervously, nudging the boys forward. “This one is Shin, six years old, and this one is Sai, five years old,” he pointed to the boy with gray hair first, then the black-haired child. “Kids, this is Uzumaki Hikari-”

“Are you going to take care of us from now on?!”

Hikari blinked slowly, taking in what Shin had said in his outburst. The boy looked eager, eyes shining as he stared at her. In contrast to him, Sai was hiding behind his brother, peeking out at her shyly. After a few moments of silence, she spoke, “Am I?”

The question was directed at the Uchiha boys, who squirmed under her heavy gaze. “This is why I told you we should have informed her first,” Itachi murmured under his breath, jabbing Shisui with his elbow.

“Gah! Do you never miss a chance to say ‘I told you so’?!”

Ignoring the two Uchiha, Hikari studied the younger children. Both of them looked thin and there were the burgeoning signs of malnutrition. She internally face-palmed; there was no way she was going to send them away, was there?

“Well then, if you’re going to stay here, you should meet the rest of the family,” Hikari said, holding out her hands for the kids to take. She led them to the backyard, where everyone else was. _‘Naruto would get along splendidly with Shin, while Sai might find a similar spirit in Gaara. Or I think…?’_

It didn’t take long for her to introduce everyone and the two newcomers were pulled into the game the other children were playing. Manami shot the girl a knowing look from her spot under a tree, giggling when Hikari shrugged helplessly and gave her an awkward smile.

“I see you’ve picked up another kid,” Shisui observed, watching the brunette next to Karin. There was an air of nobility around her, making him wonder if she belonged to some clan or another.

Itachi, however, recognized her immediately. “That’s the Kurama Clan Heiress, Yakumo.”

“Wait, what? What’s she doing here then?”

Gesturing for the boys to follow her, Hikari led them to her room. Taking a seat at her desk, she waited until the boys made themselves comfortable. “The situation is being kept a secret for now, but we won’t be publicizing it either. To make a long story short, Yakumo has a secondary personality called Ido, that killed her parents. Kurenai-san refused to teach her, wanted to seal her powers, to which Jiji agreed, and I interfered. Her uncle deemed her a threat and tried to kill her, so I interfered again and brought Yakumo here.”

Shisui and Itachi stared at the girl in front of them, processing the waterfall of words that had just fallen from her mouth. Then they glanced at each other, as if affirming that they both had heard the same thing and then looked back at Hikari.

“So you basically kidnapped Yakumo-chan,” Shisui said, shaking his head in bewilderment. “Will we be seeing some kids around here soon?”

A crimson eyebrow twitched, Hikari glaring at the older Uchiha. “It’s not kidnapping if she agreed and everyone knows where she is. Besides, Yakumo doesn’t want to go back to her clan compound. We’ve already written up a contract that states that she can live here freely while keeping her status as Heiress. Once she turns sixteen or becomes a Chuunin, whichever comes first, she can reevaluate her situation.”

“A good contract, since it protects Yakumo-san’s rights,” Itachi agreed, nodding once. He understood that the brunette couldn’t simply give away her position as the next Head of the Kurama Clan, since she was still a minor who was attacked by her own guardian. Keeping her surname was a way for Yakumo to have a tie to her clan, while still having the choice to live in a place she deemed safe.

“You’ve been busy, Hikari-chan.”

“Apparently not as much as you two,” Hikari shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Sai and Shin. You have five seconds to explain.”

“Root.”

Hikari stiffened, turning sharply to meet a solemn Shisui’s eyes. “…so you know.”

“And you just confirmed that you know too,” Itachi spoke, checking once to ensure that the privacy seals were active. Even if the barrier surrounding the house prevented eavesdroppers, the children shouldn’t be able to barge in or overhear. “We weren’t sure, but some of your actions were suspicious.”

The redhead sighed, dropping her head onto the desk. “I assume you’ve already figured out that the people who were following me way back then belonged to Root?”

“As soon as we realized that they weren’t ANBU,” Shisui nodded. “We’ve run into them once before. But how do you know Root, Hikari-chan? Don’t tell me they…”

“No, they didn’t try to recruit me. I’d send them back in body bags if they tried.” Hikari snorted at the surprised expressions on the boys’ faces. “The actual answer to that question is in the box of secrets I’ll let you open one day.”

Accepting that answer, Itachi switched the topic. “Regarding Shin-kun and Sai-kun, we found them in an old house in the forest. Questioning them revealed that they were being trained as future members of Root, so we took them.”

“Took them,” Hikari repeated, tone amused as she quirked a lopsided smile at the boys. “Is that a nicer way of saying that you kidnapped them?”

Shisui laughed, knowing that she was throwing their words about her and Yakumo back in their faces. “Maybe? Anyways, Sai looked far too much like Sasuke, so we convinced Fugaku-san to do DNA tests on them.”

“Let me guess: either they have no Uchiha blood or it’s too diluted for the Sharingan to manifest.”

“…you’re one scary girl, Hikari-chan.”

“I do my best.”

Itachi cleared his throat, stifling a chuckle at the gobsmacked way his cousin was staring at the smirking redhead. “Shin-kun belongs to the former category and Sai-kun in the latter. Since an orphanage isn’t good for them, Father suggested that we bring them to you.”

“Do I look like I’m running a daycare?” Hikari said wryly, knowing that regardless of what she said, she was going to take them in anyway. “Alright, they can stay. In exchange, I want you guys to teach Yakumo Genjutsu.”

“Sure, as long as you join in too, Hikari-chan.”

“Do I have to?” she whined, pouting. “I hate Genjutsu.”

“Why not?” Itachi was the one to retort, surprising the Uzumaki. He had never pushed whenever Shisui tried to get Hikari to learn Genjutsu, simply letting her be. “It’s a useful skill and I do not believe that you hate it as much as you say you do.”

Hikari glared at the younger Uchiha, not happy that he was messing with her like that. Truth be told, she didn’t hate Genjutsu anymore, not with two friends who specialized in it. But that didn’t mean she wanted to learn it.

Still…

“Fine. You win,” she grumbled, letting her head drop onto the desk. “Don’t expect me to love it, but I see your point.”

“Yay~”

Shisui cheered, happy that they had finally managed to convince their friend. “How about we start once Yakumo-chan’s chakra control is good enough? Oh wait, will she go to the Academy?”

“I don’t know. Probably not,” Hikari replied, thinking about the teen’s question. Considering her weak physique, Yakumo wouldn’t be able to keep up with the Academy’s curriculum, since she would need a special regime to improve her physical ability. “I wonder if Sai and Shin would like to go though.”

Itachi was the one to answer that. “Sai-kun might be interested. I noticed him watching when Sasuke was practicing his shurikenjutsu. But Shin-kun has an illness, which would affect mobility. The medics said that it would take a long time to recover. Even then, it seems unlikely he’ll recover fully, since there’ll be scarring on his lungs.”

“Is that so? Do you have his prescription?”

“Here.” Itachi pulled out a piece of paper and a small brown paper bag from a pocket, placing the items on the desk. “The medicine will last for a month and the required dosage is on the paper. When it runs out, you can come to the Uchiha medics to get more, unless you can make it on your own.”

Hikari picked up the prescription, skimming its contents. The medicine was familiar to her and she was fairly sure she could make it. “I might need to ask Shikaku-san for some of the ingredients but I can make it. Besides, my healing ability will help to fix the scarring on his lungs, so Shin will be just fine in a couple of years.”

“I see. That’s good.”

_‘Since I have the chance, might as well tell them about their predicament.’_

Taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Hikari rested her chin on her fist, twirling a lock of hair around a finger. “Do you know you have a stalker?”

The boys blinked in unison. “What?”

“The two of you have been followed for the past few days, especially Shisui,” she told them, expression blank but eyes stormy. Judging by their reactions, neither Shisui or Itachi had noticed, which proved the Root nin’s ability. No wonder Danzo had chosen him.

“I didn’t notice,” Shisui muttered, fists clenched as he frowned in thought. He glanced at Itachi, who shook his head, expression troubled. “Is that person so skilled that they managed to slip past our senses?”

“Don’t beat yourself up. If I weren’t a powerful sensor, I wouldn’t have noticed him either. He’s very good at hiding his chakra, to the extent that I’d believe he’s a civilian.”

“Is he tailing us when we leave the village?”

“No, not according to what I’ve observed so far. He’s been prioritizing you, meaning that if both you and Itachi are in the village but at different locations, then he follows you.”

Shisui’s frown deepened. The only differences between himself and Itachi were their experiences and Sharingan. Was it possible that Danzo had found out about his Mangekyou ability?

It was something he needed to look into.

Before he could start thinking of a plan, Hikari snapped her fingers, calling attention to her. “I want the two of you to be careful,” she warned them. Itachi and Shisui were smart; she knew that they had realized that even though Danzo stood on Konoha’s side, they understood that his morals and methods were skewed.

Even if she didn’t know what had created that impression for them, she was grateful for it nonetheless.

“I also suspect that there’s another person hanging around the Uchiha compound, so I hope you can check that. Also, I know that you can take care of yourselves, but don’t be reckless. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Itachi smiled, touched by their friend’s concern and understanding where she was coming from. “We will. I don’t suppose you have an idea why we’re being followed?”

“I’m not sure, but…” Hikari trailed off, staring pointedly at Shisui. Specifically, his eyes.

The teen stiffened, one hand rising to cover an eye. “You know.”

“I know a lot of things.”

“How? Wait, no, I’m sure that’s part of your ‘secrets’. Who else knows?”

“They don’t know the details -I’m not that stupid- but Jiji, Kashi-nii and Shikaku-san know the gist.”

“I see…if we need help, we can approach those three?”

Hikari shook her head. There was no way she was going to trust the Sandaime with her friends’ safety anymore and Kakashi had too much on his plate to assist them at a moment’s notice. “Go to Shikaku-san. If you simply need someone to talk to, Kashi-nii is fine. But Shikaku-san is one you can trust for assistance. Just tell him I sent you.”

The two Uchiha nodded, Itachi asking, “Do they know your ‘secrets’?”

That question sounded a little odd and Hikari blinked in confusion before smiling faintly. “Not everything. I haven’t told them all my secrets and I don’t intend to. No, the two of you will be the only ones who will get to know it all.”

Eyes widening in shock, Shisui asked, voice faint, “You trust us that much?”

“If I can’t trust you two, Shisui, Itachi, who else can I trust?”

* * *

Past midnight, Hikari stood on the roof of her house, staring up at the stars.

 _‘Too much has changed,’_ she thought. Yakumo’s circumstances were one thing, but the appearance of Sai and Shin had thrown her off balance. Honestly speaking, she had intended to go looking for them but she had thought that they would show up at the orphanage or something. She hadn’t considered the possibility that Danzo could have found them elsewhere.

_‘In the past, neither Shisui or Itachi would have met them. If it weren’t for their Fuuinjutsu skills, which they got thanks to me, they wouldn’t have noticed the barrier in the forest.’_

Hikari was fairly certain that, in her world, Itachi had honed his Fuuinjutsu after he had joined Akatsuki, and Shisui had never learnt in the first place. If she hadn’t met them, they wouldn’t have become the Fuuinjutsu experts they were now. Even if they weren’t at her level yet, she was sure that they could give Jiraiya a hard time with their seals.

“What other changes will the ripples in time bring?” Hikari muttered to herself, feeling the wind ruffle her clothes and hair. It wasn’t a very cold night, cloudless and full moon high up in the starry sky. Her mouth twisted into a displeased frown, skin crawling as she thought about whatever Danzo was plotting.

“Why do I have the feeling that something bad is about to happen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter might have felt like a filler, but there is a point to it.  
> It's basically to point out that Hikari's original dimension and her current dimension are not identical (Yakumo's circumstances) and that her presence itself is changing everything (Sai and Shin turning up years early).
> 
> Time to throw canon out the window!
> 
> Haha, I'm kidding. I'll still be using some canon points but we'll start seeing the effects of the ripples in time soon.
> 
> Now, a question for everyone:  
> As you've seen I am using quite a few filler and side characters. They might not play a big role, but they have their parts. I don't know if I'll be bringing in anymore characters (I currently don't recall everything) but I want to use Yota, since I want to give some attention to the kids.  
> What should I do? Should Hikari simply release him from the Edo Tensei or somehow bring him back to life (probably using her seals, Yin-Yang Release and Kurama's chakra)?
> 
> Another question:  
> I was pretty adamant that Twisting Reality and Overtwisted were going to be Shisui x Hikari, but thanks to you all, I have a ton of Shisui x Itachi x Hikari ideas in my head.  
> So, what route should I go down?  
> Shisui x Hikari?  
> Shisui x Itachi x Hikari?
> 
> Posted: 19/01/2021


	19. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gears begin to turn...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may feel like it is all over the place and perhaps even a little fast-paced, but I hope it makes sense.
> 
> Happy reading~
> 
> _“Jinchuuriki talking in mindscape”_  
>  ** _“Bijuu talking in mindscape”_**  
>  ** _'Bijuu's thoughts'_**  
>  “Normal speech”  
>  _‘Thoughts’_

Shisui sighed, leaning against the trunk of the tree he was hiding in. It had been a few weeks since he had been alerted of his Root stalker; now that he was aware of the presence following him, he couldn’t turn off that awareness.

It _grated_ on his nerves.

There were very few places Shisui could go without feeling eyes on him and apart from Hikari’s house, they weren’t places he frequented often. If he suddenly spent a lot of time at an unusual spot, there was a chance of tipping off the Root nin. That wasn’t something Shisui could afford, not without knowing the reason why he was being monitored.

_‘I can’t even go home,’_ the teen lamented, throwing an arm over eyes. _‘The atmosphere in the Compound has been weird lately and there’s no one waiting for me at home anyway.’_

Just as he was debating whether he should risk going to Hikari’s, as he had just been there that morning, an unfamiliar voice called out to him.

“Uchiha-san.”

Shisui blinked and looked down; a pair of pale eyes met his own, a Hyuuga woman staring up at him. “Uh…can I help you, Hyuuga-san?”

He wasn’t really surprised at her appearance, considering that he was right next to the Hyuuga Compound. Since the Uchiha and the Hyuuga -or at least most of them- weren’t at each other’s throats anymore, relations between the two clans had been peaceful. That was why he hadn’t been too concerned when he settled in a spot close to the Hyuuga.

“Hiashi-sama wishes to know if you would join him for tea.”

The words, while seemingly innocuous, had a strange inflection to them that bewildered Shisui. He couldn’t guess what motives laid behind it, but refusing an invitation from the Hyuuga Clan Head would not be polite. So the teen nodded and hopped off the branch he was perched on, landing soundlessly on the ground.

“Sure. Lead the way.”

The woman inclined her head at him and turned around, gesturing for the boy to follow her. She led him through the gates of the Compound, guiding him through the maze that was the Hyuuga main house. They finally stopped in front of one of the larger rooms that looked like it had been made to receive visitors.

“Hiashi-sama, your guest has arrived,” the woman announced, voice clear as she knocked. At the reply from inside, she slid the door open and stepped to the side. “Please, go in, Uchiha-san.”

“Thanks, Hyuuga-san.”

Shisui walked inside, spotting the Hyuuga Clan Head seated at a low table. He bowed, his past etiquette lessons kicking in as he said, “Thank you for the invitation, Hiashi-sama.”

Hiashi gave a single curt nod in response, acknowledging the greeting. “Take a seat, Shisui-kun,” he said, gesturing to the empty place set at the table. The Uchiha did as asked, murmuring his thanks when a cup of steaming tea was placed in front of him.

“Pardon me for being blunt, Hiashi-sama, but why did you invite me?”

The man raised his gaze, staring at the boy. His expression was impassive but there was a meaningful glint in his eyes as he said, “I believe you are aware of…the unsavory eyes following you?”

Shisui didn’t stiffen or react, but it was a near thing. “…yes.”

“Good.”

There was silence after that short exchange, neither of them making a single sound. Shisui was tense, not sure why the Hyuuga had sought him out and why he had spoken about his observations. Just as he was about to give in to his curiosity and ask, Hiashi broke the silence.

“Should you feel like it, you may come in at any time. My daughter and nephew would welcome your presence, I am sure.”

_‘What?’_

The Uchiha stared, not quite certain what the man was saying. It took a few seconds of contemplation and rolling the words around in his head before he figured it out. Ruthlessly crushing the maniacal bark of laughter that threatened to slip past his lips, Shisui schooled his expression and nodded.

Hiashi had already let slip that both of them were wary of Root, had noticed the teen’s stalker and was now offering him a place to hide. No matter how good the Root nin was, there was no way he could escape the eyes of a Hyuuga. That meant he couldn’t come into the Hyuuga Compound, even if he wanted to.

Hiashi had even crafted an excuse of playing with Hinata and Neji to allow Shisui -and Itachi by default- to visit the Hyuuga Compound without arousing suspicion.

Well, there was another ally.

And another safe place.

_‘Speaking of allies…’_

* * *

His chance arrived that very day itself, in the form of delivering reports to the Jounin Commander. While Shisui could have visited the Nara Compound at any time, having a legitimate excuse was better, especially since he usually went there with a kid in tow, not by himself.

A Nara clansman met him at the gates, lazily waving him inside. Shisui was a familiar face and hardly needed to be checked, which allowed him to dart inside quickly.

Shikaku was waiting for him at the back of the house, sipping on some sake. He sighed when a sheepish Shisui held out the stack of reports, but took them with only an annoyed grumble.

Work was work, after all.

He didn’t want the Hokage after his hide for slacking off.

When the Nara was looking at the last report, Shisui spoke up, “Shikaku-sama, may I have some of your time when you’re finished?”

The man eyed the teen and took in his tense expression. He set down the papers in his hand and drawled, curiosity piqued, “The report can wait; what’s bugging you?”

Shisui hesitated; the conversation they were going to have dealt with sensitive information and he wasn’t really comfortable talking out in the open. But this was the main house of the Nara Compound, closest to the Nara forest. The only other people in the area were Nara and they knew how to keep their mouths shut.

He decided to just go for it.

“How much has Hikari-chan told you?”

Shikaku’s eyes narrowed and he straightened from his slouched posture, sharp gaze focused on the Uchiha. He hadn’t expected that. After a moment of thought, he replied, “Quite a bit. And you?”

If Hikari had told him everything, then Shisui wouldn’t have started with that as his opening statement. That meant he was probing what were safe areas to discuss. So Shikaku had kept his response as vague as possible.

“Much less than I’d like. She said she’ll tell us -me and Itachi- everything soon, but to go to you or Kakashi-senpai in the meantime.”

_‘That’s interesting,’_ the Nara thought, eyebrows rising in surprise. _‘Hikari actually told them that she’d tell them **everything**. I know that Kakashi knows some of her personal information but Sandaime-sama doesn’t know even half of what I know. Just how much does she trust these boys?’_

Out loud, he only said, “I see. Then? What do you want?”

“I’m being followed by Root,” Shisui told him, lips pursed in mild irritation. He didn’t have a good impression of the shadow organization and it was just getting worse. “Itachi too, but to a lesser degree.”

“How long?”

“For at least two months.”

“And when were you made aware of that?”

“Three weeks ago. Hikari-chan was the one who told us; that Root member is good enough to slip under Itachi’s and my senses.”

“That does not sound good,” Shikaku murmured to himself, recalling the redhead’s antsy behavior of late and her growing dislike of the Sandaime. Things finally made sense, the puzzle pieces falling into place to form the full picture. “What else did she tell you?”

Shisui shook his head. “She doesn’t know anything else. Only the suspicion that Danzo-sama might be after our eyes.”

“I thought as much. And for the record, I vaguely know of your abilities and I don’t want to know more,” Shikaku informed the boy in a casual tone, feeling a little amusement at the way the teenager slumped in relief. Even if he technically _could_ demand the information, thanks to his position as Jounin Commander, he was more than willing to allow the Uchiha to keep his secret.

Especially since it was a powerful ability.

If need be, Shisui could always say that it fell under clan secrets.

No need to give Danzo more sources of information.

“Anyways, what do you want from me, Shisui? I doubt you came here just to tell me that.”

“I need a favor, Shikaku-sama.”

“Go ahead.”

“As much as possible, I ask that you do not send me on solo missions,” the Uchiha said, voice quiet as he bowed his head a little.

While he was sure that Danzo wouldn’t care if he was in the village or not, anything that could happen to him whilst he was inside Konoha would be investigated, but an attack while outside would likely be brushed off as an ‘accident’.

“I don’t want to leave too many openings.”

“That can be arranged,” Shikaku agreed easily. Konoha shinobi were hardly sent on solo missions, unless they involved assassinations, in which case ANBU were sent. And though Shisui was ANBU, he went on more Jounin-level missions than ANBU most of the time. “What about Itachi? He recently joined ANBU, correct?”

“Yes. But he’s officially a Chuunin, so he will still have a team with him unless it’s something really simple. And,” Shisui hesitated, pondering whether he should reveal _that_ or not. But this was Shikaku, someone who could be trusted. “There are rumors that Itachi and I will be added to Team Ro soon.”

Team Ro was entirely made up of ANBU. They were a team that answered only to the Hokage and worked directly under him/her. Not even the Advisors could use them.

Shikaku snorted in amusement. “That has Hikari’s meddling written all over it.”

Shisui blinked. “What?”

“I’m probably not supposed to know but the current leader of Team Ro is Kakashi. Little Red’s likely trying to keep you all in one place so that you can look after each other.”

“…that actually sounds like her,” the Uchiha admitted after processing that. He knew that Itachi and he had the skills to make it onto a high-ranked team on their own, but he also knew that they would be more valuable in separate teams. Uchiha in the shinobi forces were a rarity.

But that also raised the question of how much power Hikari had over the Hokage.

Still, that was something he didn’t really need to know right now.

“Back to the matter of your stalker,” Shikaku pulled the conversation back to its original track. “Who else knows?”

“Hiashi-sama knows; he offered to let me hang out at the Hyuuga Compound if I needed a breather,” Shisui explained promptly, before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “Fugaku-sama doesn’t know, though. It’s likely that he’d kick up a fuss and that would alert Root.”

“Perhaps, but your Clan Head should be aware of this, just in case. Fugaku would understand if you tell him to keep quiet on the matter while also monitoring the situation in any way he can.”

“That’s…a good point. I’ll send a message to Itachi. Mind if I do it now, Shikaku-sama?”

“Your summons? Sure,” Shikaku replied, intrigued. He hadn’t seen the Uchiha’s summons so far, despite having known that he had signed the Panther contract. It had been pretty funny when the Uchiha Elders had caught wind of it years ago and had demanded the contract. Hikari was the one who had held the contract then -and currently as well.

It had been an entertaining sight to see the Elders run like the hounds of hell were snapping at their heels.

Shisui quirked a half-smile at the man, having noticed the Nara’s curiosity. He flickered through the handsigns for the Kushiyose, slamming his palm on the ground. There was a puff of smoke and when it cleared, a black jaguar cub the size of a cat, stood at that spot.

“Hey, Matsu,” the Uchiha greeted cheerfully, laughing when the cub leapt onto him and started licking his face.

“Shisui! Why haven’t you summoned me in so long?!”

“You know that you’re not allowed on missions with me, Matsu.”

The jaguar’s aura turned sulking, a depressed expression on his face. “Yeah, but you can call me to play, you know?”

“You can play all you want after you do me a little favor. But first, meet Shikaku-sama,” Shisui turned the cub towards the quietly watching Nara. “Shikaku-sama, this is Matsu. He’s one of the youngest, so he normally carries messages between summoners.”

“Oh? Does that mean Itachi has the Panther contract too?” the Nara asked, holding a hand out when Matsu started sniffing him curiously.

“All of us, meaning Hikari-chan, Itachi and I, have all three contracts. We just use the ones we’re most comfortable with.”

Matsu interrupted before Shikaku could say anything in reply, giving the man’s hand a lick and turning back to Shisui. “He’s nice,” he announced primly, sounding much like the Panther lead summons, Isao, at that moment. “I’ve memorized his scent too, since he seems to be an important person.”

Shisui chuckled, patting the cub’s head in praise. “That’s correct, Matsu. As for the favor, could you tell Itachi, ‘Time to spill the beans’? He’ll understand what it means.”

“Okay! I’m going to play at Hikari’s after that! Bye, Shisui!”

The cub disappeared the same way he had come, popping back into the summon dimension before heading to Itachi. It was the fastest way to pass messages between fellow contractors, after all.

“He was quite energetic,” Shikaku remarked with a good measure of amusement, staring at the spot the jaguar had just been. Not many shinobi had summoning contracts in Konoha, or generally anywhere, so he didn’t have many references to compare to.

“Matsu is still a child. He’s smart though, and very aware of his surroundings, no matter how playful he gets. That’s why I don’t mind letting him loose.”

Chuckling at the last comment, Shikaku handed over the reports Shisui had brought back to the boy, having looked over the last one during the pauses in their conversation. His day hadn’t gone as expected, but that was normal for a shinobi. Still, he had a lot to think about.

The Uchiha got to his feet and bowed, turning to leave. He paused mid-motion, when something occurred to him. “Shikaku-sama?”

Raising an eyebrow at the hesitant tone, the Nara prompted, “Yes?”

“If Danzo-sama does try something with the Uchiha Clan…what would happen?”

“Well, for one, unless he does something drastic, you’re not alone,” the man said, smirking at the confused teen. If it had been three years ago, the situation might have been very different. “None of the other clans will stand by if the Uchiha come under fire, Shisui.”

The assurance got a relieved smile and Shisui nodded. “What about Hokage-sama?”

“That’s a tricky one. I’d like to say that he’d do the right thing, but I’m not sure.”

“So, unless it’s something very, very bad, we shouldn’t expect help from him,” Shisui concluded tartly, displeased by the very notion that the Hokage would be blinded by his friend.

“Yes. Let’s hope it won’t come to that.”

* * *

Itachi was hidden in a tree near the main gates of the Uchiha Compound, waiting for his best friend to return. Matsu had come by hours ago with a message from Shisui, telling him to reveal everything to his father.

That had _not_ been a fun conversation.

_“Let me get this straight: you and Shisui have been followed by Root for months, like some kind of animal to be wary of?”_

_Fugaku’s voice had grown increasingly louder as he continued speaking and he was almost hissing in fury by the time he finished his sentence._

_Was the loyalty the Uchiha had shown not enough for that old war hawk?_

_Why had he set his sights on his son and nephew?_

_“Yes, Father,” came Itachi’s calm reply, the boy hardly fazed by his father’s outburst. He had expected it, which was why he and Shisui had not brought the issue to the man’s notice sooner. But if Shikaku was advising them to tell Fugaku, then it was best to do so._

_The older Uchiha sighed, his anger draining away when faced with his son’s composure. Fugaku leaned back in his chair, studying Itachi. “Do you truly not plan to do anything?”_

_“We were not supposed to notice our tail, Father. We don’t know what they are after and we decided to wait until there is a change.”_

_“…fine. We’ll do this your way for now. But,” the Uchiha Clan Head’s expression turned stern, “should anything and I do mean **anything,** happen, I will not remain idle.”_

_Itachi inclined his head in acknowledgement. He did not expect any less._

But the result of that was not what Itachi was waiting to tell Shisui, but something else.

Just as he was wondering whether to find his friend’s location via their summons, said person came into view. Shisui’s face was as impassive as ever, but Itachi could see the faint lines of stress around his eyes and the tight corners of his mouth revealed his irritation.

The teen looked up, feeling a new but familiar and friendly pair of eyes on him and noticed Itachi perched on the tree branch. A smile spread across his face, clearing some of the exhaustion as he greeted, “Hey, Itachi. What are you doing up there?”

“Waiting for you.”

Itachi slid off the branch, dropping to the ground right in front of the older boy. He stared at Shisui expectantly, making the other Uchiha chuckle nervously.

“Want to come over to my place for a bit? We can talk.”

“Yes.”

“So serious!”

Nevertheless, the two boys wandered away from the gates, the older relaxing when the feeling of hostile eyes on him vanished. Just like the Hyuuga Compound, the Root nin couldn’t enter the Uchiha Compound. But Shisui still did not feel perfectly comfortable, considering that the aura in the compound was still weird.

In no time at all, they reached their destination and Shisui let them in, activating the privacy seals as he ventured inside. Throwing himself on the couch with a groan, he buried his face into the material. “Today was so tiring.”

Itachi made himself comfortable on the armchair opposite the couch, almost curling up into a ball. “What happened? Apart from your meeting with Shikaku-sama.”

“We’ve got a standing invitation from Hiashi-sama to enter the Hyuuga Compound for a breather if we want it, under the guise of playing with Hinata-chan and Neji, or to see little Hanabi-chan. Other than that, nothing noteworthy. What about on your side?”

“Father has agreed to wait and watch for any suspicious movements, along with a demand that we report anything out of the ordinary.”

The younger Uchiha paused, glancing at the privacy seals to check if they were functioning. Satisfied that they were, he turned to face his friend, who had sat up and was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Alright, spill. What’s got you on pins and needles, Itachi?”

“Remember when you told me to keep an eye on happenings inside the Compound? Today, I saw some of the Elders meeting with a member of Root.”

Shisui stiffened, eyes widening in alarm. “Are you certain?”

Itachi nodded with a pensive expression on his face. He too had been alarmed when he had spotted the Root nin lurking around a fairly deserted part of the Uchiha Compound.

Originally, he had thought that the man was spying on the Uchiha, but to his shock, a few of the Elders had appeared from the shadows a few minutes later, going to talk with the Root nin.

He hadn’t been able to eavesdrop on their conversation but he had managed to glean a small amount of information by reading their lips.

“I had Hikari’s chakra suppression and perception manipulation seals so I got as close as I possibly could,” Itachi said, uncurling a little as he met Shisui’s gaze. “The Elders are colluding with Root to gain more power. Or at least, Danzo-sama is making them think that Root is on their side.”

Shisui’s expression had darkened over the course of the explanation and he turned his head to stare in the direction of the place where Itachi said he’d seen the Elders meet with the Root nin, as if he could see them there if he stared hard enough.

“We knew that they weren’t happy with the status quo, but I didn’t think they’d let themselves be played like this. The Clan has finally gotten rid of the rumors and the villagers’ distrust…if this gets out, it could be disastrous for us.”

“I think so too. I haven’t told Father yet, though I’m certain he’s already aware of it. But I intend to tell him what I know once I have more information.”

“So by the end of this week?”

Shisui sent a half-hearted smile his friend’s way, dropping back onto the couch. “If it weren’t for Danzo-sama’s position and our clan’s future, we could have exposed this long ago.”

Wrapping his arms around his knees, Itachi watched Shisui mumble to himself, the words muffled by the fact that his face was buried into the material of the couch. Even if the older boy was trying to keep things as light as possible, there was an uneasiness beginning to stir in the depths of Itachi’s heart.

Something was about to happen and soon.

* * *

In an unknown place…

Papers fluttered to the floor, discarded in a fit of victorious glee.

“It’s time…”

* * *

The soft pitter-patter of feet upon wood broke the silence and Shisui ceased his mindless staring at the sky to focus on the person who had just arrived.

“Hey, Hinata-chan.”

“Good afternoon, Shisui-san,” the Hyuuga Heiress returned the greeting in a soft voice, holding a tray of refreshments in her hands. She set it down next to the boy and poured out some tea, extending the cup to the Uchiha who took it with a cheery thanks.

Hinata took a seat as well, staring out into the garden while Shisui sipped on his tea, popping the occasional sweet into his mouth. She wasn’t sure why the teen was there but didn’t complain, appreciating the company since Neji was at the Academy, her mother busy with Hanabi and her father with clan duties.

“Got nothing to do?”

Startling a little at the sudden question, Hinata dipped her head in a nod and looked up at the Uchiha, peeking through her bangs, “And you, Shisui-san?”

Shisui hummed, placing his empty cup on the tray, “Kind of? I’m pretty much on standby since the team in which I will be placed on hasn’t been finalized yet.”

Actually, it was all but confirmed that he’d be put on Team Ro but because Itachi had just joined ANBU, the boy was being shown the ropes and given some training. Once that was done, the two Uchiha would be assigned to Team Ro, under Kakashi.

Hinata didn’t need to know that, though.

“…I see.”

Smiling at the hesitant expression on the little Hyuuga’s face, Shisui patted her head, “Something you want to ask me, Hinata-chan?”

The girl nodded, pressing the tips of her fingers together. She hadn’t lost that nervous tick but it was adorable on a five-year-old and she was gaining confidence, so no one said anything.

“If it’s fine with you…can you watch over my training?”

Shisui blinked.

“I don’t know anything about the Hyuuga taijutsu style though?”

“Yes, but…”

Hinata trailed off, cheeks burning bright red with embarrassment as she tried and failed to get her point across. After a few seconds of stammering, she snapped her mouth shut and ducked her head low.

“Sorry…”

“No need to apologize, kiddo. Why don’t you warm up and do a few katas? I may not be able to help much but I can ensure that you don’t hurt yourself or something.”

The Hyuuga brightened at the easily delivered suggestion, gratitude shining in her eyes as she thanked the grinning Uchiha profusely and shot to her feet. She dashed off towards the open ground, stretching a few times before settling into the stance for the Jyuuken.

Grinning a little at the girl’s enthusiasm, Shisui shifted into a more comfortable position, settling himself down for some supervising time.

“Shisui-kun.”

“Hmm? Oh, hi, Hitomi-sama! And little Hanabi-chan too!”

Hitomi smiled softly at the energetic greeting from their guest, gracefully sitting down next to him to watch her eldest daughter practice her taijutsu. “Thank you for watching Hinata, Shisui-kun.”

“I don’t mind; she’s pretty good and accepts pointers easily.”

The woman nodded in understanding, shifting Hanabi in her arms when the baby gurgled and waved her chubby arms. “There haven’t been many who have given positive attention to her, not even my husband or myself. I’d like to believe we’ve gotten better lately but with Hanabi’s birth, I fear that Hinata has been feeling neglected.”

Shisui shook his head, “Hinata-chan doesn’t seem to care about that. She’s very kind and forgiving; I’m sure she understands.”

“She shouldn’t have to, though, and that is our failing.”

“Eh…ah, as long as you do better from now on?”

Hitomi giggled at the Uchiha’s flustered expression and flailing hands, the boy not knowing how to respond to her words. “It’s okay, Shisui-kun. I apologize; I didn’t mean to burden you with my worries. I simply came to check upon my daughter and greet you.”

“Okay…”

The pair descended into silence after that short exchange, only Hanabi’s occasional gurgles and Shisui calling out to correct Hinata’s posture breaking the stillness.

It was quiet and comfortable.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Shisui left the Hyuuga Compound, waving goodbye to Hinata and Neji, who had returned home from the Academy some time ago.

Instantly, the feeling of unwanted eyes on him returned and he suppressed a shudder. _‘I really hate that guy,’_ he complained internally, forcing himself to keep his expression neutral as he went on his way. _‘Can’t he take a break or something for just a day?’_

Ever since Shisui had become aware of his tail, he had felt himself being watched constantly and it didn’t give him the freedom to relax. There were too many unanswered questions and risks, which made it all worse.

But…

There hadn’t been any change in the situation in a while, so…

Nodding decisively to himself, Shisui turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction of where he had been originally heading, intending to go to the training ground that he used to frequent.

The only thing was that it was a little out of the way, a couple miles outside the walls of Konoha. It was a training ground that only the higher-ranked Jounin and ANBU used, and even then, it was rarely occupied.

Shisui used to go there often to clear his head and burn off stress, so that was what he planned to do that day.

Just one evening for himself.

One evening to let loose and then resign himself to his hopefully temporary problem.

He was well on his way out of the village when there was a soft _pop_ and a puff of white smoke. Then there were weights on his shoulders, familiar high-pitched voices chirping into his ears.

“Hi, Shisui-san!”

“Kira, Kaya,” Shisui shot back, an eyebrow rising in question even as he raised his hands to pat the foxes’ heads. “What brings you two here?”

The twins didn’t reply immediately, Kaya curling around the boy’s neck like a fluffy black scarf while Kira hopped onto his head. Shisui chuckled at their antics but didn’t say anything, letting the two make themselves comfortable.

“So?”

Kira flattened herself and stretched out, paws touching the Uchiha’s forehead as she looked upside down at him, ears twitching and blinking meaningfully.

Shisui got the signal and nodded, casting a light Genjutsu around them to mask their true conversation.

Satisfied by the strength of the Genjutsu, Kira spoke, “Hikari-san wants to know ‘why the hell you are leaving the village alone when you know you’re not supposed to’. Those were her exact words.”

The Uchiha snorted in amusement.

Of course Hikari had noticed him leaving, her considerable sensory range aiding in that regard. Knowing what a worrywart she was, she had probably sent the fox twins to check on him.

“I’m just going to blow off some steam. It’s getting tiring, being cooped up in the village like this.”

“Hikari-san thought you might say that,” Kaya said, voice quiet but strong. She didn’t speak often, likely due to her former muteness but whenever she did, her tone was always soft, even when she was upset or angry. “She said that ‘you’re being stupid and just asking for trouble’.”

“Well, this is just a hypothesis and I could be wrong, but there hasn’t been any change in the situation, so it should be fine?”

The foxes looked at each other and snickered.

“Let me guess, Hikari-chan predicted that, too?” Shisui asked drily, rolling his eyes when they nodded. “Seriously, that girl knows me better than I do myself.”

Kira piped up, pawing the boy’s head, fortunately without her claws, “She also said that she couldn’t stop you from doing what you want, so you have to be really careful, Shisui-san!”

“Hikari-san also promised to drag you back to life and kill you herself if you get yourself killed.”

“Charming,” Shisui snarked, not doubting that the redhead would follow through on her threat. She was really vicious like that. “Remind her to resurrect me again after she kills me, okay? I like being alive.”

“Then you shouldn’t do anything stupid,” Kira stated primly, finally sitting up straight and looking around the forest curiously. “Hikari-san would be really sad if you got hurt, Shisui-san.”

“Yeah, I know. I got it; be careful and not do anything too reckless, right?”

“Right!”

* * *

The still air was broken only by the swish of kunai flying through the trees and hitting the targets they were aimed at. Practicing his aim and reaction time was Shisui’s way of relieving his tension when he couldn’t wrangle a spar out of anyone he knew or didn’t want to be a bother by doing just that.

It had been only two days since Itachi had told him of the Uchiha Elders’ plotting with Root and the effects were already visible. While no news had reached people outside the compound, the atmosphere inside had turned heavy.

For the whispers of a possible coup already reached the ears of the top-ranking Uchiha, the rumors clearly spread with the intention of gaining allies.

Shisui suspected it was done by some or all of the Elders.

Because of that, most of the Uchiha acted like they were walking on eggshells, not quite knowing who had the same views as the Elders and who didn’t.

But it had been easy to track down once Shisui and Itachi had put their minds to it.

At least ninety percent of the clan was against any attempt at grabbing power, content with the recognition they were receiving. The villagers had returned to the same attitude that they had had before the Kyuubi incident, treating the Uchiha with respect and the shinobi showing them camaraderie.

_‘But those stupid Elders just had to poke their noses into where they don’t belong,’_ Shisui griped internally, tugging his kunai out of the targets they were embedded in with more strength than strictly necessary. _‘Because of them, we’re toeing the path of treason, all thanks to their overinflated sense of importance!’_

The sound of one of the targets breaking jolted the Uchiha out of the semi-trance he had fallen into and he stared dispassionately at the jagged pieces of wood, brushing the splinters off his hands.

Sighing at his loss of control, the thirteen-year-old closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _‘I can’t let my emotions get the better of me, not right now.’_

No, not until he was in a place where he felt safe.

Looking past the trees and towards the setting sun that painted the sky in various shades of red and orange, Shisui murmured to himself, “The sunset is really beautiful today…but why does it feel so ominous?”

The unsettling feeling that took up a place in his heart only served to spike his adrenaline and Shisui hastened to gather his kunai, intending to leave the area as soon as possible.

_‘Maybe it wasn’t a wise decision to come here, after all.’_

While it wasn’t strictly outside of Konoha, it was still a little far away from where people normally ventured. Considering his current dilemma, Shisui didn’t think it was wise to loiter around for long. He was already regretting venturing outside the main part of the village while not out on official business.

It was also too quiet for his liking.

_Far too quiet._

“I know you’re there. You might as well come out.”

There was a moment of silence followed by a hum of acknowledgement as a figure stepped out of the shadows, from the opposite side of the clearing the Uchiha was in. “You certainly have earned your fame, Uchiha Shisui.”

The very person causing Shisui’s distress stood across him, the old man’s expression as flat as ever. But there was a glint of _something_ in the Shimura’s eyes, whatever it was making the Uchiha’s hackles rise.

“Danzo-sama.”

Shisui’s response was stiff and curt, eyes narrowed as he carefully adjusted his posture to appear respectful, while also remaining on guard. He was sure that the old man wasn’t there just to compliment his skills. And while he couldn’t exactly feel any other presences around, that didn’t mean that Root operatives weren’t hidden amongst the trees.

“How can I help you, Danzo-sama?”

The old man didn’t respond immediately; instead, he looked around the training ground, taking in the clean cuts and gouges in the bark, speaking of skill and constant practice.

“You could have become a fine protector of Konoha, Uchiha Shisui, had you chosen to join Root. Yet you remain in ANBU, doing useless missions that bring nothing but money.”

“…”

“Oh? Do you not intend to respond?”

“If I may,” Shisui ventured slowly, not sure what point Danzo was trying to make, “being in ANBU may be as you said but it is what I’ve decided to do. I do not seek glory; I only want to protect the future of Konoha.”

“Such a waste.”

Danzo shook his head, as if pitying the Uchiha and looking down on him. “Well, it does not matter. I will have better options soon.”

_‘What does he mean by that?’_

The teen tensed, thrown off by the strange words and unnerved by the intensity with which Danzo was watching him. Shisui didn’t allow his guard to lower, keeping a sharp eye on the old man to track any minute movements, Sharingan active.

Something was very, _very_ wrong.

In order to gauge the situation and to test the Shimura’s reaction, Shisui spoke, still keeping his tone polite and respectful, “If you have no need of me, Danzo-sama, allow me to take my leave.”

Danzo chuckled, but the sound didn’t have any real mirth in it.

“I don’t need _you_ , but something you _have_.”

Instinct overpowered rational thought and Shisui threw up an arm, blocking the kick aimed at his throat. Danzo did not hesitate, pressing the advantage of his surprise attack and reaching for the Uchiha’s face, fingers spread wide.

_‘He’s-!’_

Shisui ducked, letting the hand pass harmlessly over his head and swung his leg out in a wide arc, intending to either sweep the man’s legs out from under him or to at least make him back away. Danzo chose the latter option, jumping into the air to avoid the attack while also creating space between them.

_‘He’s aiming for my eyes,’_ Shisui thought with anger and distaste, lips pressed into a thin line as he regained his bearings and leaped backwards. _‘Does he know about my Mangekyou’s abilities?’_

That was the only reasoning that made sense, considering Danzo’s earlier attempt. The Shimura’s hand had been bent like a claw, clearly intending to rip out the boy’s eyes. It had been an obvious move, something unlike the normally cunning war hawk but considering that the two were out in a deserted area, it stood to reason that Danzo didn’t care about being cautious.

“I see you have understood my motive,” Danzo spoke suddenly, landing on his feet on the other side of the clearing. He looked unruffled, as if he had expected Shisui’s defense. Which did make sense, because of the years of battle experience he had over the boy. “I suppose you will not let me have what I want quietly?”

Shisui didn’t reply, only shifting to adjust his posture to a defensive one. _‘I can’t kill or even hurt him,’_ he thought to himself, mind whirring to think of the best way to come out of his precarious situation. _‘I need to retreat and head back to the village. Danzo won’t attack me in full view of other shinobi. Or so I hope.’_

The distance between his current location and the closest safe place was not a trifling amount.

Not to mention that there was a high chance of Root operatives present around.

If there were, then Shisui needed to conserve as much energy as he could.

Root never played fair.

Across from the boy, Danzo straightened, his unnerving gaze never leaving the Uchiha. The man slowly raised his hand and flicked his fingers once.

“Very well then.”

Masked figures appeared all around them, covering the entire perimeter of the clearing. There were very few openings one could use to get past them, all of the Root operatives armed with various weapons and ready to fight.

In one last attempt to discern Danzo’s true motives, Shisui bit out, “You are a respected Advisor of Konoha, Danzo-sama. Why would you do this?”

“Because Konoha must be the strongest village in the world. Hiruzen is too soft-hearted to use the tools in his hands, so I must take over,” Danzo replied, his tone of voice indicating that that was the end of the conversation.

A flick of his hand and the Root nin charged.

Shisui cursed under his breath, the tomoe of his Sharingan spinning wildly as he blocked a tanto with his kunai, kicking the wielder of the blade with a chakra-reinforced foot, ignoring the nauseating crunch of bones. There was no room for mercy or hesitation, not when a single misstep meant his death.

_‘Even death would be better than what Danzo wants to do,’_ he thought absently. He understood what the old man had implied; the _tools_ he had mentioned clearly referred to Naruto and Gaara, perhaps even Hikari, what with her skills and Fuuinjutsu.

If worse came to worst, Shisui would rather destroy his eyes himself than let Hikari and the kids be controlled.

The Uchiha pulled out all the stops, kunai and shuriken flying in all directions with deadly accuracy. He only needed a momentary break in the formation that Root had created around him to be able to escape. He took a chance, starting to form handsigns for a certain jutsu.

Danzo, however, spotted it immediately and recognizing the sequence, ordered, “Don’t let him use the Kuchiyose!”

There were two reasons the war hawk wouldn’t allow it: one, the summons would provide assistance to the boy, increasing his chances of escape; two, even if the summons were defeated, they would know of the Uchiha’s predicament and could inform the other summoners to bring help.

He could not let that happen.

“Damn it!”

Shisui had no choice but to stop the sequence for the Kuchiyose, instead pulling out a kunai again to deflect the shuriken aimed at his hands. He couldn’t even jump back or put some distance between himself and his attackers, for they mainly engaged in close combat, a few of them throwing the random jutsu every now and then to distract him.

_‘I may have a lot of stamina, but I can’t keep going like this,’_ Shisui thought, a tinge of desperation beginning to color his thoughts, even if he didn’t allow it to bleed into his actions. _‘Sooner or later, they’ll land an attack on me and I’ll be done for.’_

Katon was his primary elemental nature and it came easily to him; he could use most of his Katon jutsu with one-handed signs and that was what he chose to do. Throwing his last kunai at a Root nin’s exposed throat and taking vicious delight when it hit the target dead-on, the man dropping with a wet gurgle, Shisui pulled out his tanto.

Going for simplicity and function over flashy, chakra-draining jutsu, Shisui took a deep breath, gathering his chakra, “Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!”

The oversized fireball did its job as intended.

The Root nin scattered, leaping to the sides to avoid the attack. If they got hit with that overpowered Katon jutsu, nothing but ash would remain of them, judging by the way the ground was scorched black.

_‘There!’_

Taking advantage of the enemies’ distraction, Shisui used a Shunshin to speed past the Root nin and through the opening that had formed. He darted into the forest, making a beeline for Konoha. _‘I need to hurry,_ ’ he thought, hearing the men behind him already reorienting themselves and giving chase.

* * *

Danzo watched as the Uchiha disappeared into the trees, unconcerned by the escape. He had predicted that it would happen and had taken precautions against it.

More of his men were stationed all throughout the forest; no matter which direction Shisui went, they would catch him. His power and speed meant nothing if they could outsmart him.

“Everything is finally falling into place,” Danzo murmured to himself, beginning to walk forwards. All of his observations and careful planning had paid off, dropping into his lap the perfect tool to achieve his goals. “This is an opportunity that I absolutely cannot let slip.”

Once he had the power of Kotoamatsukami, no one would be able to stand against him, as long as Danzo could successfully cast the Genjutsu on them.

The path to the Konoha he envisioned had finally opened up.

* * *

_‘I need to go faster,’_ Shisui gritted his teeth, using more chakra to increase his speed. If he was caught then, he wouldn’t be able to escape again, no matter how fast he was. Once he had put a considerable distance between himself and his pursuers, he stopped using the Shunshin, instead leaping from branch to branch.

_‘I’m still too far away to be safe; there might be more Root nin lurking around,’_ he surmised, eyes flickering in all directions to look for ambushes. His caution paid off, instincts screaming at him to dodge as a hail of kunai came out of nowhere. Shisui channeled more chakra to his feet, jumping into the air to avoid the attack.

But that was a bad choice.

Movement registered in his peripheral and Shisui turned his head in that direction, eyes widening at the swarm of insects coming at him. “Damn it!”

Suspended in midair as he was, the boy couldn’t dodge it and he had noticed the swarm too late, since they had already surrounded him. His only option was to break through in one direction and he did just that, throwing a Katon jutsu to burn his way out.

“Tch!”

Even if he had avoided the brunt of the attack, some of the insects had managed to bite him, evident by the tiny pinpricks he had felt. “Why the hell is an Aburame in Root?! I have no idea what these stupid bugs even do!”

But that was not the time to be pondering about it and Shisui forged on, keeping a steady pace while also on the lookout for more ambushes.

“Just a little further…” he muttered to himself, his mental map of the forest telling him that he was close to his destination. Another five minutes at his current pace and he would reach the walls of Konoha. “I’m so not going out alone again, personal frustrations be damned.”

All the precautions he had taken for his safety, only for them to go up in smoke thanks to his own stupidity.

Suddenly, his vision turned blurry and he realized that he couldn’t move freely, foot slipping off the branch he had just landed on. Shisui fumbled as he fell, somehow managing to land upright on the forest floor, albeit awkwardly. His breathing had become difficult and he braced himself against a tree, realizing that he had been poisoned.

“I see it has finally taken effect.”

Danzo stepped out of the trees behind the Uchiha, expression impassive as he met the boy’s gaze, who had turned to glare at the man over his shoulder. “You certainly are impressive, Uchiha Shisui, to have resisted the poison for quite so long, even if you had been unaware of it.”

“You…you won’t get away with this! Even if you are an Advisor…!”

“Oh? But I will,” came the confident reply.

Danzo walked towards the teen, Shisui struggling to get to his feet. “The poison is extremely effective and has no antidote. It will break down soon after your death. Even if your body is found and an autopsy is performed, it will not be detected.”

Shisui felt his last hope disappearing.

Even if he managed to escape, the poison would kill him. And he could feel the Root nin surrounding him again, cutting off his path.

_‘Do I really have no choice?’_

However, before he could come to a decision, Danzo made his move.

In a surprisingly fast move for the aged man, he appeared in front of Shisui, hand held out.

“Urk!”

Shisui, weakened by the poison coursing through his veins, was barely able to move.

His reaction was too slow.

Futile.

Blood splattered onto the ground, the teen dropping onto his hands and knees as he bit back a cry of pain, one hand rising to cover his now empty eye socket.

He looked up, Sharingan spinning furiously as he glared with his remaining eye at the man in front of him, Danzo’s satisfied expression doing nothing good to his spiraling emotions. The old war hawk held Shisui’s right eye in his hand, unconcerned by the blood staining his skin.

“Your eyes will pave the way for Konoha’s power,” Danzo murmured, closing his fingers over the eye he had stolen, careful to not apply too much pressure lest he crushed the organ. “You should be happy, Shisui.”

“How can I, when you want to use kids as your pawns?!”

“It is a necessary sacrifice, for the good of the village.”

There was no talking the man out of his plans.

Shisui could only act.

Kotoamatsukami could _not_ fall into Danzo’s hands!

Gritting his teeth, Shisui forced himself up, forcibly ignoring the weakness due to the poison and the pain from his injured eye. If he could no longer save himself, it was time for the last resort.

“Susanoo!”

The emerald green skeletal construct appeared around the teen in a blink of the eye, its hand sweeping out to send the nearest Root operatives flying, the men dropping like flies from the overwhelming impact. Shisui didn’t care if they were dead or simply unconscious; his only target was the old man.

Shisui had made the wrong choices earlier and it was time to make up for them.

A single thought had a barrage of chakra needles bursting out of the Susanoo’s chest, shooting towards Danzo who leapt away from the line of fire. The man intended to wait until Shisui burnt himself out, before taking the boy’s other eye.

It was obvious that the Uchiha was running low on chakra; using Susanoo was only going to drain his already low reserves rapidly.

What Danzo didn’t expect was for Shisui to appear in front of him, expression set in a stone mask that spoke of no emotion. The emerald Susanoo had yet to fade away, despite the wielder no longer occupying it. The feat spoke of the boy’s speed and power, even when weakened by poison.

Shisui did not hesitate, left hand grabbing Danzo’s hand around the wrist in an iron grip. A quick twist served to loosen the man’s fingers and Shisui instantly took the opportunity, free hand swiping his stolen eye from the slack limb.

He immediately disengaged once he had accomplished his goal, not wanting to give Danzo a chance to recover and come after him again. A glance around him told Shisui that heading towards Konoha was impossible, so he picked the path with the least obstructions and vanished.

“After him!” Danzo shouted, angered by his own carelessness. He had underestimated the thirteen-year-old and now he was paying the price. The only silver lining was that the Uchiha wasn’t moving in the direction of Konoha.

No matter what, he would have those eyes.

* * *

Shisui’s breath came in gasps, the poison from that Aburame taking full effect. He knew he was going to die; the only possibility of survival was if a medic of Senju Tsunade’s caliber could treat him, instantly.

_‘Even then, I estimate it to be less than ten percent chance of survival,’_ Shisui thought morbidly, flying through the thick branches.

Still, it wasn’t enough to shake his resolve.

He had little to no chakra left, which crossed out the options of seeking help and fighting back.

Though, when he didn’t come back, Hikari would suspect that something had happened. She would be able to fix the mess that Danzo had created.

Shisui was sure of it.

_‘I don’t care what happens to me; I will never allow Hikari-chan, Naruto and Gaara to be controlled by Danzo. If it’s him, there’s no telling what he’ll make them do.’_

He looked over his shoulder behind him, spotting no pursuers yet but aware that he was being followed. If he slowed down, the Root operatives would be upon him within minutes.

Shisui was already running on pure adrenaline and sheer force of will; he had no strength to fight.

No, he needed to end it before his pursuers caught up.

The trees thinned out around him and Shisui burst out of the forest, finding himself upon a cliff.

“The Naka river…”

Shisui could hear the sound of rushing water, despite being hundreds of feet up. He slowly stepped closer to the edge, almost like he was in a trance. The moon was rising high up into the rapidly darkening sky, rays of pale light breaking out between the clouds and reflecting off the waterfall across him.

The Uchiha stared down the cliff, gaze unfocussed as he made his choice.

A sad smile crossed his face and Shisui turned his face towards the sky, a single tear sliding down his cheek at the thought of the people who were dear to him.

“I’m sorry, Itachi, Hikari-chan…”

Eyes closed, Shisui took that last step, allowing gravity to take control as he tipped himself over the edge.

“It looks like this is it for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, no....
> 
> Posted: 22/02/2021


End file.
